Tale of Two Kings
by Zero Unit RGB
Summary: A lion who has no memory of his past. He's best friends with a meerkat that can beat him up. And he finds out that he's actually royalty in a past life. But can he trust his real family or is he destined to destroy them all? Everything in his life has led him to this. Set after Lion King II. P.S. Check out the sequel, Story of the Stars.
1. Prologue: A Great King

**A/N: This is my first TLK story. I read these really good TLK fics but for some reason I can't find any of them anymore. They were about well, everyone actually. There were five parts in total but the last three in particular were the ones I read. I think they were something like Rafiki's tales, noon, evening, and night or something. Basically it was Rafiki's tales and some particular time of the day. I don't remember the author either but I'd like to thank him/her for giving me the inspiration to write this. Some things that might be a give away to whoever wrote them, the next shaman was Pumbaa, their enemy was a group known as the broken circle, Shenzi started the "Packlands", and Kiara was originally betrothed to some other lion. Do people actually read these things? Oh well, time for the story!**

-X-

"_I wonder if Scar's up there"_

Rafiki paced back and forth in his tree. He appeared to be worried as he stopped pacing. He walked over to a hidden spot. He cleared the leaves that blocked the view of the trunk and under it was a picture of a young lion cub. It was smeared in red paint.

Rafiki sighed as he looked up into the night sky. "Oh, Mufasa, must I tell them?"

The only answer he received was a cool breeze.

Rafiki looked towards the silhouette of Pride Rock. From a distance it looked so peaceful. It was hard to believe that only one month ago the Outsiders wanted to take it over. Things have changed. But Rafiki knew that more was about to change than they had originally thought. He didn't know how, but he knew it would happen.

-X-

Kovu sighed as he sat under the shade of the acacia tree. It was pretty lonely when there was no kingly lesson from Simba or Kiara sitting next to him. He was happy to be with Kiara, but like every couple, they had their arguments.

"Hey big guy, you're looking down today" said a certain meerkat as he and his warthog friend approached the lion.

"Hey Timon, hey Pumbaa, how are you guys today?" asked Kovu.

"Pretty good. But forget what we're doing, what about you? Let me guess, you got into another fight with Kiara" said Timon while rolling his eyes.

"It wasn't a fight, it was just an argument" sighed Kovu.

"Same thing" mumbled Timon.

"Another one, geez that's like the fifth one in the whole month you two have been mates" said Pumbaa.

"So, lots of mates argue. Simba told me of the many arguments he's gotten into with Nala" said Kovu.

"Even so, how can you expect to maintain an entire kingdom if you can't maintain a simple relationship?" asked Timon.

"Right, and I'm supposed to take love advice from an old meerkat who's been single his whole life" said Kovu sarcastically as he made his way toward Pride Rock.

"Whoa there, that's merely my decision. The only reason I don't have a mate is because children are too much trouble. I learned that the hard way"

"Yeah, Simba told me about your snail slurping competition but that doesn't sound too bad"

"It wasn't just snail slurping"

"Crushed by a warthog, fell down a waterfall, and sleep deprivation" said Pumbaa.

"Let's not relive those sleepless nights. Anyway, Kovu, you don't plan on apologizing to Kiara, do you?" asked Timon.

"Of course, I can't stand being away from her for so long"

"Aw, that's so sweet" sniffed Pumbaa.

"Yeesh, it's like talking to a bunch of little girls" said Timon rolling his eyes. "Look kid, you're going to be a king, which means you'll be able to do whatever you want. You can't just be constantly listening to your mate. You need to take charge. After all, you, my boy, are a king!"

"Funny, last I checked I was a fuzzy maraca"

"Oh, you, uh, still remember that. Anyway, that doesn't matter, my point is, you always end up apologizing to Kiara, but I promise you that by tomorrow, she'll be the one apologizing to you. After all, a good king is one who follows the law of man!"

"Fine, if you say so Timon, but just so you know, if you're wrong, I'm going to have meerkat for dinner" said Kovu with a grin as he walked back towards Pride Rock.

"Eep!"

-X-

The hunting party just finished catching today's lunch. Now a small group of three friends were walking towards the water hole. This group included the young princess, Kiara, the new leader of the hunting team, Vitani, and a golden colored lioness, Sierra.

"You two are in _another_ argument? That's like the fifth one in a month" said Vitani.

"Well, it seems like your relationship with Kovu isn't going to work out. So is it okay if I take him off your paws?" asked Sierra.

"Sierra, we still love each other you know!" exclaimed Kiara.

"I was only kidding. It's just been a while since a rogue has come around and there are very few male lions in the pride that's around the same age as us. And let's not forget how handsome he is" said Sierra.

"Ignoring the fact that my brother is some sort of heartthrob here, Kiara you don't have to worry. Knowing Kovu, he's going to apologize to you by tomorrow" said Vitani.

"Even so, it's annoying having to fight about everything. I just wish I could spend one peaceful moment with him like we used to" sighed Kiara.

"Used to? You guys go stargazing every night!" exclaimed Sierra.

"Oh yeah, what are you guys in a fight about anyway?" asked Vitani.

"Oh…well…Last night I went out for a walk by myself and when I came back, Kovu had awoken. He had overreacted and said he was worried about me. He said that I shouldn't leave the den without telling him. It's like he's trying to control my life like my father did" said Kiara.

"Well it sounds as if he was just worried, you shouldn't blame him for that. It's a sign that he really likes you" said Sierra.

"True and he is a boy. It's in their nature to overreact" added Vitani. "I learned that from being around him, Nuka, and Kopa"

"Who's Kopa?" asked Kiara.

"Huh? You mean-"

Behind Kiara, Vitani could see Sierra trying to shush her. Sierra may have been Kiara's cub hood friend but she was closer to Vitani's age so she knew some secrets that Kiara didn't.

"I…didn't tell…you…about this rogue's son I met while I was still an Outsider? Wow, it was quite a story too. Well, I'll tell you some other time" covered up Vitani.

"Oh…okay then"

"I have one last question. Why'd you leave the den?" asked Sierra.

"Um…I wasn't feeling so well so I thought a walk might help" _'Actually there's more to that walk than I'm letting on. But I wish I could tell Kovu'_

"Hm…It actually sounds as if it might've been a teensy bit of your fault Kiara. True, you shouldn't have to tell him where you are every second of your life but you shouldn't blame him for worrying about you. Considering everything we went through just a month ago" said Sierra.

"That is totally irrelevant. Besides, judging by their other fights, Kovu's going to apologize because he simply cannot live without his precious Kiara" said Vitani.

"You really think so?" asked Kiara.

"I know so; he's apologized to you like every time already"

"Gee, I guess that's true…"

-X-

Kovu woke up right before the sun rose. It was like an age old tradition for him now; he'd wake up early everyday to watch the sun rise with Simba. Kovu yawned tiredly. Usually he slept pretty well, but without Kiara next to him, it felt different. And it was too difficult to try and get to sleep without her by his side.

"Had a rough night?" asked Simba without turning to face him.

"A little bit" replied Kovu.

"Care to talk about it?"

"Well, it's just difficult for me to get to sleep without Kiara being there by my side"

"I used to have a similar problem. Only it was because I wasn't with my father" chuckled Simba. "Don't worry about it; if you two truly love each other then things will work out just fine"

"I do love her…Actually, Simba I have a question"

"Fire away"

"What does it take to be a good king?"

Simba chuckled in amusement. "I used to ask myself that numerous times. To be honest, I learned the answer to that question not too long ago"

"And what is the answer?" asked Kovu.

"A good king must listen to his followers"

"You mean like do everything his kingdom asks him to do?"

"No, of course not, I mean to make a decision after you have listened to your followers. If you don't, it may only lead to your own self-destruction"

Kovu suddenly looked down sadly. "You mean like Scar and Zira…Scar paid no heed to the lionesses' warnings or the hyenas. Thus, the pride and hyena pack ended up hungry and thirsty. In the end, the hyenas betrayed Scar and killed him. And as for Zira, she was willing to kill me, her own son, just to gain control of the Pridelands. And not just me, Vitani too"

"Not just them, I meant myself as well"

"What?" said Kovu looking up in surprise.

"When it came to your judgment, I didn't care what you or Kiara had to say. I just banished you. If Kiara hadn't found a way to find you, this pride might've fallen into Zira's claws. After all, it was you two who put an end to the war" said Simba wisely.

"A way to find me…Love will always find a way" whispered Kovu.

They both turned around as they heard the rest of the pride waking up. Kovu watched as Kiara made her way down the steps of Pride Rock and walked towards the main water hole.

"Uh, Simba?" started Kovu but Simba interrupted him.

"Go ahead and take the day off. I'll handle the morning patrol" said Simba as he took off.

Kovu sighed and whispered a quiet thank you as he followed Kiara.

-X-

"Kiara?"

Kiara turned around to find herself face to face with Kovu.

"Kovu…"

"Look, I am so sorry" they both said simultaneously. "Wait what? You're sorry? I'm sorry!"

"Okay, okay, okay, you first" said Kiara.

"Well I realized that maybe that night you left the den, I wasn't listening to you. I was just so worried about that I forgot to ask what you were even doing out there" said Kovu.

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled at you for being worried. I should've calmly exclaimed to you what had happened" said Kiara with a small smile.

"Oh Kiara, I love you, and I don't want us to fight ever again. It was awful last night trying to sleep without you by my side"

"I love you too Kovu. And I agree, I don't want us to ever fight again either. Besides, what kind of rulers would we be if we fought all the time?"

"Really bad ones in my opinion"

"You're going to be a great king" said Kiara as she nuzzled necks with him. "…And a great father too"

"Wait what?" asked Kovu pulling back.

"That's why I left the den. I wasn't feeling well so I went to see Rafiki. He told me I was pregnant. And I wanted you to be the first one to know"

Kovu's initial expression of shock quickly changed to one of happiness. "That's great Kiara! We're going to be parents!"

"Yeah, I know. Now why don't we tell everyone else in the pride?"

"Then what are we waiting for?"

They both started laughing as they raced each other back to Pride Rock.

-X-

Vitani and Kiara made their way up Pride Rock talking about things like Kiara's pregnancy and the food they caught for today's dinner. They both ceased their conversation when they made it to the top.

Simba, Nala, Kovu, Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, and Rafiki appeared to have been waiting for them.

"What's this an intervention?" asked Vitani sarcastically.

"Hey, that's what I said!" said Timon.

"Vitani, could you bring some food for us. We need you two here because Rafiki wants to tell us something" said Nala.

"Oh, sure, but what about the rest of the pride?" asked Vitani.

"I'll tell them to eat dinner without us" said Simba.

"Kovu, what's this all about?" asked Kiara as she sat down next to Kovu.

"I'm not sure, all I know is that Rafiki wants to tell us something" answered Kovu.

Once Vitani came back and sat down, Rafiki spoke. "Mufasa believes that it is time you here the story of two of the dead. Taka and Kopa…"

-X-

**That's the end of chapter 1, or at least, the prologue. I hope you guys liked it; I just wanted to catch you all up to speed to what's going on in the Pride Lands. Tell me what you think by reviewing. That's what that button below is for. **


	2. Taka's Cubhood

**This is chapter two of my first TLK story so I hope you guys like it. Enjoy and don't forget to review! I'd also like to thank everyone who bothered to read this story. I know I'm not as good a writer as others out there.**

-X-

"Kopa? As in Vitani's friend?" asked Kiara.

"Kiara, where did you hear that name?" asked Nala.

"From Vitani"

"She told you?" said Simba in surprise.

"Well…yes and no" said Vitani.

"Whoa wait, who's Kopa?" asked Kovu.

"Just someone we don't usually talk about" answered Simba as he turned back to Rafiki. "Why does my father want us to tell them about Kopa? And who is Taka?"

"Taka is Scar's given name. The one he was given when he was born" answered Zazu.

"Now hold on, doesn't Taka mean dirt?" asked Kiara.

Rafiki nodded solemnly. "Yes, a rather unfortunate name"

"So, look at Pumbaa, his name means stupid or careless and he isn't bothered by it" pointed out Timon.

"It does?" said Pumbaa questioningly.

"You mean you didn't know?" asked Kovu.

"Well no, I don't remember anything from my childhood. So I've forgotten my real name. The parts I do remember involve hyenas. And they always called me Pumbaa when they chased me. So I just took on that name since I had nothing else to go by" explained Pumbaa.

"Wow, that's quite a story old buddy. Now I feel bad for always picking on ya" said Timon.

"No big deal, the hyena memories are way worse. Your teasing is like a breath of fresh air compared to their bloodthirsty growls" smiled Pumbaa.

"Back to the reason why we're here. I still don't understand why father wants us to hear these stories" said Simba.

"Hm…Well with Kiara's pregnancy, he believes that it is best for the future parents to know the proper way of taking care of their cub or cubs" said Rafiki.

"That sounds like a good idea" agreed Nala.

"But-"

"Simba, I think it's time Kiara knows the truth for your behavior towards her safety. And Kovu deserves to know the reason for the Outsiders' banishment. We both knew that we were going to have to tell them anyway" said Nala.

Samba sighed in defeat knowing that his mate was right. "You're right as usual. Fine but Nala and I should tell them about Kopa"

"That's what I expected" nodded Rafiki in understanding. "This story is for all of you to hear. Zazu you may put any input you have since you should already know of Taka's story"

"That sounds doable" mumbled Zazu as Rafiki turned to the other animals.

All of them, even Timon and Pumbaa watched in anticipation as Rafiki began to tell the story. "Taka or Scar as you all know him, was not as corrupted as you came to know him…"

-X-

_King Ahadi walked into the den and shook off the excess water from the storm. He walked deeper into the den to find his mate, Uru, and the Pride Lands' current shaman, a lion named Hondari. The two seem to be laughing and getting along rather comfortably._

"_You seem a lot better. I hope you two weren't doing anything more than this level of getting along" joked Ahadi._

"_King Ahadi, you should trust your best friend and your mate a little more" laughed Hondari._

"_I can't really help it, every other lioness fawns over you" Ahadi chuckled._

"_Oh hush, don't you want to know why I'm in a better mood than I was earlier?" asked Uru._

"_That's right, I have good news and bad news, which would you like to hear first?" asked Hondari._

"_Bad" said Ahadi._

"_Okay, get ready for many sleepless nights" said Hondari._

_Ahadi's eyes narrowed with a slightly confused expression. "You know I hate your riddles"_

_Uru rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you two are grown lions yet you still behave like the young cubs I first met"_

"_Excuse me; I'm a lot older than the both of you. If I recall, you two were just born after I became an adolescent" pointed out Hondari._

"_Anyway, back to the good news, Ahadi I'm pregnant" said Uru._

_Ahadi choked surprising the other two lions. Once he had recovered he smiled and nuzzled Uru. "That's fantastic! It just came as a surprise"_

"_Really? All the nights you two spend together and it comes as a surprise?" joked Hondari._

"_Hondari…"_

_Just then they heard someone clear his throat near the entrance. They all turned to see Hondari's pupil, Rafiki, standing there without his staff (Rafiki was a lot younger back then, but still an adult). _

"_Master Hondari, one of the lionesses from the hunting party came to the tree. She has an injured leg and I'm afraid it might already be infected" said Rafiki worriedly._

"_I'll be right there. It'll be the perfect time for me to teach you how to treat it too" said Hondari as he followed his pupil out. "I'll see you two later"_

_**Months Later…**_

"_I can see his head!" shouted Hondari over Uru's screams._

"_Don't worry, it's almost over dear" soothed Uru's mother, the previous queen._

_After a few more pushes, the den was soon filled with the cries of a newborn cub. "It's here, Ahadi, he's here!" shouted Hondari._

_Ahadi immediately ran into the den and over to the cub. The newborn cub's eyes were squeezed shut but he saw from the piece of fur on his tail, the royal red color._

"_He's beautiful" said Uru's mother._

"_What's his name?" asked Rafiki._

"_Mufasa" whispered Ahadi._

"_It fits him perfectly" said Hondari._

_Suddenly, Uru screamed again, catching all of their attention. They had been too distracted by the cub that they hadn't noticing Uru breathing heavily in pain._

"_Uru! What's wrong?" asked Ahadi in panic._

"_I think she's having more contractions!" shouted Uru's mother._

"_There's another one! I can feel him!" screamed Uru._

_Hondari's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing this. His predictions were usually accurate and he had told the royal couple that they would only have one cub. He wasn't expecting a second one._

_After a minute or two, there was the sound of a second cub crying. His fur was much darker than his brother's and the fur at the end of his tail was black. It was clear his looks came from Ahadi's family._

"_A second cub…" Ahadi whispered._

"_What an unexpected surprise! They're both adorable!" cooed Uru's mother._

_Uru plopped herself down on her stomach as she breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled at the sight of her two cubs. She brought them closer to her and began to cleanse them from blood. After Ahadi recovered from his initial shock, he smiled and knelt down towards his sons._

"_They are awfully cute" agreed Ahadi._

"_So what are we going to name the second one?" asked Uru._

"_I'm not sure; we only had one name prepared"_

_Rafiki was smiling too until he noticed his teacher's ominous silence. "Master, is something wrong?"_

_Hondari snapped out of his silent stare and looked over at his pupil. He turned back to the lions and noticed them all staring at him._

_Hondari cleared his throat as he walked over to the new parents. "I'm not sure how to word this so I'm just going to tell you. Your second son is a bit different. I can see in his heart that he is pure but something about his aura reminds me of Imani"_

_The other three lions and Rafiki all gasped in surprise and shock. Imani was Uru's younger brother and a very ambitious lion. He always had a dark aura about him, he played with his prey, he tormented the herds, and he had wanted to be king of the Pride Lands even though he knew that title belonged to his older sister's betrothed, Ahadi. So as a way to gain the throne, he kidnapped Ahadi's younger sister and threatened to kill her if he wasn't given the throne. Ahadi tried to stop him but when he did; Imani killed the adolescent with his jaws after abusing her, physically and sexually. It was terrible, in the end, Uru's father, King Mohatu had to kill his own son._

"_But how can that be?" asked Uru's mother as she shuddered at the memories of her own son._

"_I sense greed emanating from him. Not just greed either, lust for blood and power too. I believe you can feel it too Rafiki" said Hondari._

"_Yes, it's faint, but it's there" replied Rafiki._

_Ahadi remained silent as the memories of his little sister came to mind. She used to be so full of energy and joy until her last moments on this world. He looked down at his second son and for a moment a flash of Imani's face appeared. Ahadi jumped back upon seeing that evil smile he only saw in his nightmares._

"_Ahadi, are you okay?" asked Uru._

"_Y-Yeah, I'm fine, I just need to think about this for a moment" said Ahadi as he began to walk out of the den._

"_But wait, what about his name?" asked Uru._

_Ahadi stopped and turned his head briefly. "He will remain unnamed…For now"_

_**Half a Year Later…**_

"_Hey, Taka, you in here?" asked Mufasa as he entered the den._

"_Stop calling me that. I don't even like that name" muttered a dark cub as he stepped out of the shadows._

"_Well if I had anything else to call you I would" said Mufasa._

"_It's not fair! Just because I look like uncle Imani, everyone started calling me that. And then it just sticks. No one even likes me…Not even dad"_

"_Come on, that's not true. Sure dad can be a little harsh on you but you just have trouble learning the king stuff"_

"_I don't even know why he's even bothering to teach me. I mean, you were born first so only you're going to be king"_

"_True, but what if something happens to me. Or what if I need someone to take care of the Pride Lands if I go away sometime"_

_Taka huffed as he walked back inside the den. Mufasa rolled his eyes and hopped over to his brother's face._

"_Stop being such a downer. Come on; let's go to the water hole together! Sarabi and Sarafina are waiting for us there" urged Mufasa._

_Taka sighed exasperatedly. "Fine. Whatever…"_

_Taka followed Mufasa outside the den. Before they reached the bottom of the steps though, a blue bird flew down in front of them. She was rather small but something about her just commanded attention._

"_Where do you two think you're going? Don't you know how dangerous it is out there? You need an escort" said the hornbill._

_Both of the young princes groaned. _

"_Come on Zuzu, we're totally capable of going off on our own" said Mufasa._

"_Yeah, and we're not going to be alone. Sarabi and Sarafina are going to be there. And I'm sure a few other lions would be resting near the water hole" added Taka._

"_But it is my job to look after you two while your father is out on patrols" said Zuzu._

"_What about mom? I saw her earlier" said Mufasa._

"_The queen is very tired after yesterdays long hunt and needs her rest. Therefore, I am in charge" said Zuzu._

"_What about Zazu? Shouldn't you be taking care of him?" asked Taka._

"_He, unlike you two, is old enough to be on his own. He is with his father rebuilding the nest after it got destroyed in last night's storm" said Zuzu._

"_Whoa, that rhino just attacked that lioness!" shouted Mufasa suddenly._

"_Ew, I can see her guts! They spilled out everywhere!" shouted Taka._

"_What!?" screeched Zuzu in panic as she turned around._

_There was nothing there. And when she turned back, the two princes were gone._

"_I cannot believe I fell for that" grumbled Zuzu. "I can only hope Zazu won't have to deal with a prince or princess like them"_

_She took flight towards the water hole. Although, knowing them, they'd probably go somewhere else to avoid her._

_**Elsewhere…** _

_Mufasa, Taka, and two lioness cubs were near the river. They were watching the fish swim by and they were trying to catch some._

"_Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought" said Sarabi as she got out of the water and shook herself dry._

"_Yeah, I know, and here I thought it'd be easy since the fish swim against the current" said Sarafina._

"_Well, we just have to try harder" said Mufasa._

"_Or do what your brother's doing" giggled Sarafina as Taka caught another fish to add to his pile of three._

"_Whoa, nice catch Taka!" praised Sarabi._

"_Thanks, but the compliment doesn't work so well when you add Taka. Can't you guys be more like Sarafina and not call me that?" asked Taka._

"_No, they can't because they don't have the same sensitive mind that I do" said Sarafina with pride._

"_Well I'm sorry I don't have the same girly mind as you" said Sarabi._

_Mufasa let out an amused chuckle as he turned to his brother. "You see. You've got a lot a talent. And at least our friends like you too"_

_Taka looked at the two lioness cubs as they pretended to be arguing. He smiled and turned back to Mufasa. "Yeah, I guess so. Even if their parents don't approve of me, I know they do"_

"_Exactly…Wait, I know!" exclaimed Mufasa, grabbing the attention of the other cubs._

"_You know something?" gasped Sarabi dramatically._

_Sarafina giggled as Mufasa ignored her comment. "Maybe we can rule together!"_

"_Huh?" questioned the other three._

"_You know like co-kings. When I become king I'll let you rule with me" explained Mufasa._

"_That's not a bad idea. Two kings could probably do their jobs twice as fast" said Sarabi._

"_Yeah, then they'll have more time for their mates. Right Sarabi?" hinted Sarafina towards Sarabi and Mufasa since they were betrothed._

"_What!?" blushed the both of them under their fur._

_Both Taka and Sarafina began laughing at their behavior. The four of them spent the rest of the day doing whatever. It was fun and soon enough Taka had forgotten about his troubles._

_**The Next Day…**_

"_Don't you think we should ask dad about this whole co-king idea?" asked Taka in a whisper._

"_No, besides when I'm king, I'll be able to do whatever I want. I can just say you are to be my co-king" replied Mufasa also in a whisper._

_They were both following their father through the Pride Lands. They were on a tour so that they could get to know the land their father ruled._

"_What are you two whispering about?" asked Ahadi with a stern look._

"_Nothing!" they both said simultaneously._

_Ahadi sighed. "You two have been really secretive lately. Is there something I should know?"_

"_No-" _

"_Actually!" interrupted Mufasa. "We've been wondering…Why don't you treat Taka the same as you treat me?"_

_Both Ahadi and Taka were surprised. But Ahadi sighed and looked at them both._

"_Well…You both know of your uncle Imani. He was a terrible lion who had killed your aunt Siri" started Ahadi._

"_Yeah, we know, but you can't just treat your own son badly just because he looks like someone evil" argued Mufasa._

"_Yes, I know. It's just difficult. Ever since Hondari mentioned all that bad stuff about Taka…I just can't look at him without seeing Imani" said Ahadi._

"_I'm sorry I look like him dad. I can just hide my face or something so you don't have to see it" said Taka quietly._

"_No, I'm sorry Taka. I just have to get used to the fact that you look like Imani. It's not your fault, it's my own for neglecting you" said Ahadi giving him a fatherly nuzzle._

"_Thanks…But I don't blame you for having a hard time speaking to me directly" said Taka._

"_Wait, I have another question. Can we change Taka's name? He's uncomfortable with it" said Mufasa._

_Ahadi shrugged. "Sure why not?"_

"_Actually, that's fine. It's sort of grown on me. And I'm sure when people start to call me that with less scorn then I'll start to like it" said Taka._

"_That's my boy" said Ahadi with a chuckle. "Now come on, I still have to show you two Zulu Falls and the gorge"_

"_The gorge creeps me out, I have a bad feeling about it" said Mufasa._

"_Stop being paranoid. Let's go!" laughed Taka as he took off towards the waterfall._

_The lighter lions laughed along with him as they chased after him. Things were certainly looking up for Taka right now. _

-X-

**That was chapter two of my story. I just want to start with the story of Taka. It's not necessarily important but I just want to show people my version of his story. Plus there are a few references to the past and I need people to know how Taka/Scar became the way he was. Don't worry, I'll introduce Kopa later. Don't forget to review! I love reviews! And the more I get, the sooner I update! **


	3. Taka's Transformation

**Welcome to Chapter deux, dos, two, whatever you call it! Hope you guys enjoy it as much, if not then more, than the last one. Do not forget to review. Oh and I don't mind criticism. Just don't be too tough. Remember, Mufasa is watching you.**

-X-

"Taka sounds like such a good cub. I don't understand what could've happened to make him Scar" said Kiara.

"I agree, it doesn't sound as if something can change someone _that_ drastically" added Vitani.

"Why not? Look at Kovu, even though Zira filled his heart with hate for years, it vanished in the course of a short time" said Rafiki knowingly.

"We should just hear the rest of the story and find out" said Timon.

"Yeah, the suspense is killing me" added Pumbaa.

"I just have one question. How is it that you know all of this Rafiki? It doesn't sound as if you were there for most of it. Same for you Zazu" said Nala.

"Hondari told me to keep a close eye on Taka to make sure he doesn't become like Imani. As you can tell, I failed" said Rafiki sadly.

"And I just babysat from time to time" said Zazu.

"Well can you continue with this story, I want to hear what happened to Taka to make him Scar" said Simba.

"Of course…"

-X-

_Taka and Mufasa were now adolescents and they were play fighting at the moment. After all this time, animals have come to accept Taka as one of their princes. But they still have difficulty speaking to him directly._

_After a few minutes of rolling around, Mufasa had Taka pinned._

"_Ha! I win again!" shouted Mufasa triumphantly._

"_You just got lucky this time" laughed Taka as he got up._

"_Sure…So hey, have you met that new lioness that joined the pride?"_

"_Zira? Yeah I met her, why?"_

"_I think she's got a crush on you"_

"_You're kidding"_

"_Nope"_

"_That's a bit of a scary thought" _

"_Why, she doesn't seem that bad. Granted she's not the prettiest but she's okay"_

_The two brothers walked up to the water hole and took a sip of water. Taka looked over his shoulder and saw Sarabi and Sarafina coming towards them. _

"_It's not that I don't like her or anything. It's just that I like someone else and you know that" said Taka._

_Mufasa nodded in understanding and looked towards Sarabi and Sarafina. "Hey you guys! Want to join us?"_

"_We were planning on it. But then we decided to join the other two princes we know" said Sarabi sarcastically._

"_Oh is either one of these princes as handsome as I am?" asked Mufasa._

_Sarabi rolled her eyes. "Oh get over yourself"_

"_Aw, you two already look like you'll make good mates" said Sarafina playfully._

"_Come on Sarafina. We only like each other as friends; it's our parents that decided we should be mates" pointed out Sarabi._

"_Wait, what about you Taka. You're a prince, how come you aren't betrothed to someone?" asked Sarafina._

"_It's because I wasn't the firstborn. Only the one to become king follows the betrothal tradition" said Taka, avoiding any eye contact with Sarafina._

"_Hey, look me in the eye when you're talking to me" urged Sarafina._

"_Forget it. It seems like he just gets more shy as he grows older" said Sarabi._

"_He just doesn't know how to be outgoing like me" said Mufasa with pride._

"_Outgoing huh, and here I thought you just needed to go to the bathroom really badly" said Sarabi._

_Sarafina and Taka snickered as Mufasa glared at Sarabi. His glare disappeared as he noticed Sarabi laughing with her eyes closed. He grinned and crouched down. In one swift movement, he pounced on her. This caused the other three to stop their laughter. The two rolled around for a bit before they stopped. Sarabi ended up on top of him, pinning him down._

"_Pinned ya!" said Sarabi with a smile._

"_Well if it's by someone like you, then I don't mind" Mufasa chuckled._

_Sarabi was caught off guard by his comment but then looked into his royal red eyes. She smiled softly at him. _

"_Hey, why don't we leave these love birds alone?" whispered Sarafina to Taka._

_He nodded in response and followed her towards the Tree of Life. Once they were far enough, they continued to talk to each other._

"_Did you see those two? First they were acting as if they were just friends but then we see them acting as if they were in love!" laughed Sarafina._

_Taka chuckled along with her. "Yeah, now if only those two would just realize it themselves"_

_Sarafina nodded in agreement and then she got quiet. After a few seconds, she spoke again. "Sometimes I wonder who my mate might be. Do you ever wonder that?"_

_Taka nervously gulped as he tried to find the right words to say. "Well, no, but I do wonder sometimes if the lioness I like, likes me back"_

_Suddenly Sarafina got excited. "Ooh, who is it? Tama, Kumi, Zira maybe? Come on, tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone"_

"_Um…Actually, Sarafina I-"_

"_Sarafina! What are you doing here alone with _him_?" asked Hondari coming out from the Tree of Life._

"_Daddy, he has a name! And he's also a prince, you need to treat him with more respect" argued Sarafina._

_Hondari completely ignored her as he looked at Taka. In all honesty, Taka never liked Hondari all that much. For some reason, Taka just knew that this feeling was mutual._

"_I'm sorry Mr. Hondari. I was just talking with your daughter, I wasn't going to do anything to her" said Taka._

"_That is irrelevant. Come inside with me Sarafina" said Hondari sternly._

"_No daddy! You're always being mean to Taka and I don't understand why" said Sarafina._

"_Maybe because you can't sense what I do!" shouted Hondari with a scary glare._

_Sarafina cowered before him. She gave an apologetic glance towards Taka and then followed her father into the Tree of Life. _

_Taka disappointedly walked back towards the field where he had left Mufasa and Sarabi. He looked out onto the field and noticed the two of frolicking through the field. They looked so incredibly happy together. They were nuzzling and purring softly._

_Taka sighed sadly as he looked towards the Elephant Graveyard. The one place he went to whenever he felt alone. At least then he wouldn't feel unwanted. He took off towards the Elephant Graveyard at top speed._

_Taka slowed down his pace once he made it to the comedically large elephant head. Strangely, he didn't hear the hyenas anywhere. They were usually around. He then heard the unmistakable cackle of Ed, the idiot of the hyena trio, although he was still a lot smarter than animals gave him credit for. _

_Taka ran around the giant skull to find a surprising scene. He saw an adolescent lioness talking to the hyena trio. It was obvious from her appearance that she was not from the pride._

"_Zira?"_

_The lioness turned and when she saw Taka she smiled._

"_Taka, what are you doing here?" asked Zira._

"_I could be asking you the same question" said Taka a little nervously._

"_Well when I was told to stay away from the Elephant Graveyard, my curiosity got the best of me and I couldn't help but come here. So I ended up meeting these guys" _

"_Oh, okay"_

"_Now answer my question. What are _you_ doing here?"_

"_Uh, well, I come here whenever I'm alone. It helps clear my mind whenever I'm confused or hurt" admitted Taka._

_Zira nodded in understanding. She glanced at the hyenas giving them a sign to leave them alone for a minute or two._

"_So what happened?" asked Zira._

"_Well, I, uh, sort of tried to tell the lioness I liked how I felt about her" said Taka nervously not noticing Zira's smile fade for just a moment. "But her dad came and he doesn't particularly like me. So now I think it's because of my relation to Imani"_

"_Yeah, I heard of that. But don't sweat it. Something like that should be nothing to you"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well I kind of admire you because I think you're really strong. The reason why I think that is because you have such a good relationship to your brother even though he's going to rule and you're not. If I were you I'd be really jealous of him, maybe even hate him just for being the firstborn"_

_Taka almost felt like leaving but at the same time he felt oddly compelled to listen to her. "I would never feel that way about Mufasa. Besides, we made a promise to each other when we were cubs to rule together"_

"_Two kings ruling together at the same time? Isn't that a bit unheard of?" asked Zira a little dramatically._

"_Well yeah, but it was a promise that we both vowed to keep" argued Taka._

_Zira looked thoughtful for a moment but then she gave him a sympathetic look. She shook her head sadly. "Oh you poor thing… Sure it's a promise the two of you will keep now…But what happens when the time actually comes? What if it's absolutely not allowed? Or maybe Mufasa decides to keep all that power to himself? Or worse, he believes everything they say is true. About you…about Imani…and then all that happens is his betrayal"_

_Taka felt almost scared of the words Zira was saying. They were words he never even thought about. _

"_He would never…" started Taka but stopped realizing how unsure he was._

"_How do you know that? Remember, those who knew Imani have a chance of turning their backs on you. But those who did not, like me, are here to stay. You shouldn't trust your pride members, only trust me" whispered Zira sinisterly as she slinked away._

_Taka turned around but noticed that the smoke produced by the geysers made it look as if she had just vanished. He shuddered and turned back to come face to face with the hyenas._

"_What is it?" asked Taka._

"_She scares me a little" said Banzai as if that answered everything._

"_What do you think she meant?" asked Shenzi._

"_I'm not sure…All I know is that she might be right" whispered Taka fearfully._

_**Months Later…**_

_Taka listened to Mufasa and Sarabi having some sort of flirting contest with each other. They were almost completely ignoring him but they said something to him from time to time. He just wished he could stop feeling like a third wheel around them._

"_Taka, is something wrong?" asked Mufasa hearing his brother's exasperated sigh._

"…_Hm? Oh, nothing, I was just a little bored that's all" said Taka with an insincere smile._

"_Oh my goodness, we've been ignoring you haven't we?" asked Sarabi gently._

"_No, no trust me I don't mind" said Taka quickly. _Stop lying to yourself. You hate them for ignoring you. You hate how you haven't seen Sarafina in months. And you hate their betrayal.

_Taka tried to shake those thoughts out of his head._

"_Well if there's ever something wrong, you know you can come to us right?" asked Mufasa._

Now your own brother's lying to you too. _"Yeah…I know…"_

_Just then, a familiar voice called out to them. The three of them turned to see Sarafina running towards them with an excited smile on her face._

"_Hey Sarafina, you look happy" commented Sarabi once Sarafina got there._

"_Yeah I am, I've got big news to tell you guys!" said Sarafina._

"_Well don't keep us in suspense, come on and tell us" chuckled Mufasa._

"_My dad introduced me to one of his friend's sons a few months ago from another pride. That's why I was gone. And we got to know each other and my dad said we were going to be mates!" said Sarafina excitedly._

_Taka's eyes widened in surprise as did Sarabi's but with a different expression._

"_Oh yay! That's great news 'Fina!" said Sarabi cheerfully._

_Mufasa glanced over at Taka' darkened expression. But then Taka lifted his face up and put on a false smile._

"_That's fantastic! I'm happy for you! That lion is one lucky guy" said Taka, as sincerely as he could. _But you wish you could be that lucky guy don't you?

"_Thanks" smiled Sarafina as Sarabi continued to congratulate her._

"_I've got to go" said Taka still putting up his smiling front. He slowly walked away from them. Once his back was turned away from them, tears began to roll down his cheeks as he listened to their happy cheers and comments._

_Mufasa watched his brother leave. Unlike the lionesses, he noticed the droplets of water that fell to the ground._

"_What's up with Taka, it's unlike him to leave like that" commented Sarafina._

"_Well, he's become more distant lately" said Sarabi. "Right, Mufasa?"_

_It took a second for the prince to answer. "Yeah…"_

_**The Next Day…**_

"_You shouldn't be coming here so often" said Rafiki softly as he sat down next to Taka._

"_What does the all mighty Hondari have to say about me now?" asked Taka with an annoyed groan._

_Rafiki shook his head sadly. This only reminded Taka of his talk with Zira._

"_You must understand that neither master Hondari nor I are your enemies" said Rafiki._

"_Yeah? You have a funny way of showing me that" said Taka._

"_I know its hard now but I can promise you it gets better" tried Rafiki._

"_Whatever…I'm going home" grumbled Taka as he began walking back towards Pride Rock._

"_Running away from your problems only makes you a coward"_

"_I don't need any wisdom from an annoying monkey"_

_Rafiki sighed. "If you just listen to me you'd understand"_

_Taka laughed this time. It wasn't like his cheerful or shy ones, it was more sinister and evil. It sent shivers down Rafiki's spine. "My father listened to your master and I ended up with this name. Why should I listen to you?" spat Taka._

_Taka turned around again but when Rafiki spoke again, it was a bad idea. "Taka!"_

_Taka turned and with a mighty roar slashed at one of the mandrill's legs. Rafiki's eyes widened in shock as he fell onto his good knee, he was losing blood and fast._

"_Don't call me by that name. I'll find a more suitable one soon. As for right now, I'll drop you off near Hondari's tree. Be sure to tell him that he was right" growled Taka._

_Rafiki was scared for once and yet he did not hate Taka for what he had done. It was in his nature not to hate him. Just like all those years ago._

_**The Next Day…**_

"_There, that should do it" said Hondari as he finished wrapping the bandages on Rafiki's leg._

"_I'm sorry master Hondari, I have failed you" said Rafiki sadly._

"_No you didn't. Because of you I see now that I was right. Taka's heart is as impure as Imani's was" said Hondari in low growl._

"_No, master, you don't understand" tried Rafiki._

"_No, Rafiki, I know what has to happen. So just let it happen" _

_Hondari gave Rafiki this hard stare that didn't say 'Stay out of it' instead there seemed to be a sadness buried there. Rafiki was confused so all he could do was nod._

_Hondari's expression softened. "Good…You are dismissed for now"_

_Rafiki stepped off the natural raise in the tree that served as a table but winced when he landed on his feet. His leg still hurt from Taka's cut. Hondari noticed and began to undo the strap attached to his abdomen with his teeth .The strap held a staff wielding a special assortment of fruits._

"_Master Hondari, what are you doing?" asked Rafiki as his master gave him the staff._

"_There is no need for you to call me master anymore. You have learned everything that I can teach you. You do remember the leonine prophecy that I taught you right?" asked Hondari_

_Rafiki nodded as he used the staff to keep himself upright. He began to recite the prophecy. "A lion of mighty strength will one day build a great kingdom in the lush lands to the east. He will rule justly and fight like a true hero. To govern him is his wise and brave nephew, the shaman of courage. The second ruler will be kind and fair. He will face trials that will determine his bravery and though he might fail he will learn from that mistake. The third king will be wise and the greatest of all the past rulers. He will be faced with questions that will plague his mind but will find comfort in the shaman of friendship. The fourth will have a most tragic past, but he will overcome it and take back what is rightfully his"_

_Hondari nodded in approval. "Good and the rest?"_

"_The next part is blank. The third shaman is the embodiment of love but it does not say which two kings he or she will govern" said Rafiki._

"_But you know who the last four shamans that are spoken about in the prophecy, don't you?" asked Hondari._

"_Yes, after the shaman of love come knowledge, sincerity, reliability, and kindness" _

"_Yes…I want you to look after king Mufasa and his heir. When the sun sets on my time, you will take over as the shaman of friendship. Do not forget to look for the shaman of love either. Remember, though I may be gone physically, I will always be watching over you"_

"_Yes…Hondari…"_

"_That is all my friend, you are dismissed"_

_Rafiki nodded as he slowly left the tree. Limping slightly as he held on to the staff for support._

"_And soon I will be dismissed" whispered Hondari. Rafiki barely caught it, but he had heard it. It made him fear for the future of the Pridelands and for his former master. _

-X-

**Okay, so I realize that the main characters appear to be Taka/Scar right now, but trust me, that'll change. I just need to finish his past and we can get on with the main story. It might take one or two more chapters so bear with me. I'm doing the best I can. Don't forget to review!**


	4. Change

**Here it is…The newest chapter to my first TLK story! I'm sorry it took a little while before I could update but it's only because I wanted to finish this other TLK fic I was reading. You should check it out, it's in one of my favorites so just go to my profile and click it. Plus school really gets in my way. And finally my sister dislikes me writing fanfictions so I can only type at night, when she's asleep. (It's not a secret, she knows I do this) I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter and my previous chapters as well. And of course I can't forget my readers, I love you all. Anyway, back to the story, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter because this is where we dig into the Scar we know from the movie. Don't forget to review. Remember, more reviews equals faster updates.**

-X-

"So it was Zira all along…She manipulated Taka just as she did to us" growled Kovu.

"Kovu, calm down, remember we promised each other to leave that behind us" said Vitani but they could tell she was angered as well.

"Yeah, you're right as usual 'Tani" sighed Kovu.

"I've got a question. You mention so much about Sarabi and Sarafina, but I've never met them. If I'm correct, according to the stories I've heard, they were still alive during Scar's reign. So what happened to them?" asked Kiara looking back and forth between her parents and Rafiki.

"Well, we can tell you about the late queen later" said Nala noticing her mate's sad expression.

"But we don't particularly know of what happened to Sarafina" said Simba quietly.

There was a long moment of silence before Zazu cleared his throat to catch their attention. The others all turned to him.

"Well, I happen to know what happened to lady Sarafina…I've just never mentioned it before because it's a very…gruesome memory" shuddered the majordomo.

"That's understandable but I'd appreciate hearing about what happened to my mother" said Nala.

"As am I" agreed Rafiki.

"Yes, well, I'll tell you what happened after Taka's story is finished. It's best we go in chronological order and Taka's story comes before Sarafina's…disappearance" said Zazu nervously as he ruffled his feathers.

"Something awful must've happened to her" whispered Nala fearfully noticing Zazu's tone.

"Don't worry, it's going to be okay" soothed Simba.

"Wait, I still can't wrap my head around something" said Timon.

"And what's that?" asked Pumbaa.

"That whole prophecy thing! I just don't get it!"

"Isn't it obvious? My great grandfather, Mohatu, started the kingdom of the Pridelands with his own two paws. His son-in-law, and my grandfather, Ahadi was the second king, he failed in protecting his little sister but he got over it and ruled the Pridelands" explained Simba.

"Right, and they say that Simba's dad, Mufasa, was the greatest of the kings. As for the fourth king, that would be Simba, faced with numerous trials and confusion but takes back what is rightfully his, that would be the Pride Lands" continued Nala.

"Okay, but wasn't Scar a king? Even for a short time, he still ruled the Pridelands, why isn't he mentioned?" asked Vitani.

"The leonine prophecy only speaks of the greatest of the kings. Scar ruled unjustly, thus leaving him a not so great king" said Rafiki.

"I guess that answers my question of whether or not Scar was up there" said Kovu quietly as he looked up at the first few stars that were coming out.

No one else said anything else knowing that since the next part of the prophecy was missing, they didn't know what kind of king Kovu would be. It worried Kovu the most; it made him think that maybe he wouldn't be like the past kings.

Rafiki sighed knowing that there was a rather depressing silence that had fallen upon them. Even Timon and Pumbaa were quiet, unable to make light of this situation. Rafiki took a deep breath before continuing the story.

-X-

"_There you are!" exclaimed Uru as she rushed towards her younger son._

_Zazu, the new majordomo since Zuzu passed away a few months ago, was perched upon her shoulder. He never particularly liked Taka, mostly because of his constant pranks and tom foolery from when he was a cub._

"_What is it? Did father's condition improve?" asked Taka, showing genuine concern for the first time in a whole year._

_He had just gotten out of adolescence along with Mufasa. He had a full mane and grew up to be very mature. However, he was also more distant and cold-hearted. This had made many of the animals and even lionesses in the pride to avoid him._

"_Quite the opposite actually" said Zazu sadly._

"_It's gotten worse. He wants to see you in the den" said Uru urgently._

"_Is Hondari gone?" asked Taka._

_As time passed, Taka's and Hondari's relationship has gotten beyond worse. They seemed to hate each other more and more with each passing day._

"_He left earlier after he finished his check up on your father" said Uru losing patience. "Now come on Taka"_

"_Don't call me that!" said Taka angrily but still complied and followed his mother to the den._

_Uru sighed knowing that her son only became more distant as time went on. It got even worse when Sarafina had introduced them to her new mate, Akida._

"_Father, are you okay?" asked Taka once he came into the den._

_For a while now king Ahadi has been deathly sick. He's barely eaten, gotten up, or even slept soundly. He always woke up from his long sleeps sweaty and wheezing. _

"_I'm fine…" said Ahadi weakly not even looking up._

_Taka sat down next down next to his brother who looked like he had been crying._

"_What did Hondari say?" asked Taka._

_Ahadi remained silent as if wondering if he should tell his younger son or not. His silence scared Taka though. "Dad, come on tell me! Just because I don't talk to Hondari doesn't mean I don't want to know what he says!"_

"_He said that he'd be joining the Great Kings of the Past soon" whispered Mufasa but loud enough for everyone in the cave to hear._

"_What!? No, he must be mistaken!" said Taka._

"_I'm afraid he may be right…Listen closely, it seems that my time here has already begun to set. I know that it's sooner than the two of you expected but Mufasa…You have to rule the Pridelands now" wheezed Ahadi._

"_What! But dad, I'm not ready; we've only just gotten out of adolescence! And I'm still pretty sure I'm missing a few furs on my mane. So that means it's not even full yet!" said Mufasa trying to think of any random excuse._

"_And what if Hondari's wrong? Maybe you can make it!" added Taka._

"_Sweetie, I understand why you're upset. I am too but Hondari's never been wrong before" soothed Uru._

_Even though what Uru had said was in a sweet tone, it stung Taka. He immediately turned on her with an expression that was a mix of anger and sadness. "You mean like how he was right about me being like Imani?"_

_Uru was taken aback by this but she quickly recovered. "No, of course not. I didn't mean it like that!"_

"_I know what you meant! You've always believed that I was like him! I bet the two of you just wish that you only had Mufasa, that way you can have an heir to the throne and no mistake!" shouted Taka angrily._

"_What are you talking about, you were no mistake" said Ahadi._

"_Don't lie to me! Even as a cub I heard all the other lionesses and animals saying how I was just an accident! That it was supposed to be just Mufasa!" _

"_Now prince Taka, these are your parents you're talking to! You should be ashamed!" scolded Zazu._

"_Shut up! I don't need a rat with feathers telling me what I can or cannot do!"_

"_Taka!" said Mufasa completely shocked by his brother's behavior._

"_And don't call me that!"_

_Everything seemed to slow down; everyone in the room was talking all at once. To Taka, it sounded like they were trying to reach out to him. But all their voices just seemed to blend together to create the voices of his past. The ones telling him what a mistake he was, how un-kingly he was, and how he was just an accident, a monster, an Imani._

"_SHUT UP!" roared Taka as loudly as he could, silencing everyone and staring at him in shock. He looked at all them once more before running out of the den._

_**An Hour Later…**_

_Mufasa left the den and saw Taka seated at the edge of Pride Rock. Of course as usual there had to be someone watching them, which is why Zazu had himself perched near the entrance of the den. (In other words, Rafiki isn't there so Zazu is telling this part of the story)_

"_You okay?" asked Mufasa coming down to sit down next to his brother._

"_No…I yelled at you guys for no reason. You were only trying to reach out to me and I pushed you away…I'm sorry" sighed Taka._

"_It's fine…"_

"_What did dad say once I was gone? Did he talk about what a disappointment I am?"_

"_No…But I talked to him about the co-king idea…"_

"_And?"_

"_We can't do it…We're not allowed to. According to our grandfather's law, only one king can rule these lands" _

"_What! But that's not fair! I have to go talk to dad!"_

"_You can't" said Mufasa stopping Taka before he had gone back inside._

"_What do you mean I can't? We made that promise so that we could keep it! Not so you can rule on your own! Or was that your plan all along?" accused Taka._

"_No! You can't because he's gone!" shouted Mufasa angrily turning on his own brother. "And who are you to accuse me of anything? I've always been on your side!"_

"_Yeah, well lately it hasn't seemed that way…And what do you mean he's gone? I've been sitting here the whole time, I would've known if he had left the den"_

"_I mean he's gone, gone! As in up there with our grandpa Mohatu!"_

_Taka remained silent, he listened as a cool breeze moved past them. He turned away from Mufasa. "You should probably go back inside…I can hear mom crying"_

"_Don't you think she'd want you there?" asked Mufasa softly._

"…_You're…better at cheering up people than I am"_

_Mufasa nodded and walked back into the den. He stopped next to Taka. "I'm sorry"_

_Once Mufasa was inside, Taka turned to look at the Tree of Life in the distance. "The whole reason for my life being a living hell was because of an accusation by a worthless shaman. They say he's never been wrong, well then how could he not tell that there were two cubs? Not just Mufasa! Oh that's right, so he could make me look like an accident!" growled Taka as he ran across the savanna towards the tree. It was also the place where life on the Pridelands would change drastically. _

_**At the Tree of Life…**_

"_I know you had said that I am no longer your pupil but I feel like there is still so much I haven't learned from you" said Rafiki._

"_There is nothing else I can teach you. Just like Mufasa has completed his training to become the new king, you have completed yours as the new shaman. I'm getting much too old for this and I know my life will be ending soon" said Hondari as he looked over his paintings of the different animals of the Pride Lands, but more specifically the kings, queens, and the princes._

"_Okay, but can we at least review one last thing?"_

"_Sure"_

"_It's about the Circle of Life. I understand that to be the reason why the herds respect the lions as the rulers of these lands but I still don't see why they believe in them so much. Even when the lion dies, won't it only replenish maybe a small area of grass?"_

_Hondari chuckled, clearly amused at his former pupil's observation. "Well, yes and no, the animals that the lions eat give them energy. That energy is stored within them so when they die, the excess energy and the lion's energy fertilize the soil. And although the Circle of Life is what lets the animals respect the lions as their rulers, that's only part of it. The lions look after them. They make sure they're kept safe from trespassers and poachers"_

"_You mean like that time you first met me?" asked Rafiki after taking in the information._

"_Yes, exactly like that. When I had found you, you were being hunted by a rogue lion. But I protected you because you were my friend. When I had chased him away, I had asked you if you hated that lion, and do you remember what your answer to me was?"_

"_Yes…I had said that because you were my friend, that made me a friend to all lions. So I did not hate him" _

"_Exactly, and that's how I knew you were the shaman of friendship. And I want to tell you something that might help you find the shaman of love. The shaman of love understands pain, he knows how to share love to those that don't. He loves everyone despites their flaws and it is impossible for him to hate anyone, even his predators"_

"_I see…"_

_Silence was quickly broken as thunder could be heard outside. A strong wind blew and there were flashes of lightning. The wind blew out the candle that lit up the tree. Another lightning bolt flashed and a shadow of a lion appeared on the wall. They both turned to see a dark lion with a face contorted in anger._

"_Taka?" whispered Rafiki surprised. His former teacher however appeared unfazed by the prince's surprise visit._

"_And what brings you here young prince?" asked Hondari calmly._

"_What brings me here is vengeance!" growled Taka._

"_And what did I ever do to you?" asked Hondari._

"_You made my life a living hell…So I'm going to repay you by sending you to hell!" roared Taka._

_Rafiki somehow expected this to be coming and yet he was still surprised. He turned his attention to his former master who retained his placid expression._

"_You should know better than challenging me, Taka" said Hondari low and fierce._

"_Don't call me that! Don't act as if you know me. You may have been one of the strongest warriors of your time but I'm younger than you, stronger, faster, and much smarter!" shouted Taka._

"_Fine, if it's a fight you want it's a fight you'll get" crouched Hondari._

"_No, Hondari, you can't win. Not at this age!" pleaded Rafiki._

"_No Rafiki…You have to let me do this. Trust me; you should get out of here. And remember, both you and Mufasa are ready to take on your new roles. Just don't forget anything I've ever taught you" said Hondari calmly._

_Rafiki was still unsure but he made up his mind and ran out holding on to the shaman staff passed down to him from Hondari. Once he was out, he heard the roars from both lions and knew that by the time he came back with help, it would already be too late. Rafiki let a few tears slip out as he continued his run to Pride Rock._

**…**

_Mufasa, Rafiki, and Sarafina all rushed into the tree to find blood splattered everywhere. Hondari laid on the floor completely motionless. Taka stood over him breathing heavily and a scar over his left eye. Sarafina gasped in horror as she immediately ran over to her father's still body._

"_Taka…You…" Mufasa whispered unable to finish._

"_Don't call me that…From now on, I want you to call me Scar! All of you!" shouted Taka but stopped when he saw Sarafina's crying face._

"_H-How could you?" sobbed Sarafina. "I can't believe you did this. It's like I don't even know who you are anymore Taka"_

"…_Maybe because you don't…I'm not Taka anymore, he died along with your father. I'm Scar now" said Taka/Scar._

"_Ta-Scar…Why did you do it?" asked Rafiki as he made his way next to Sarafina._

"_Because he made me into this…"_

"_Scar…I…I've never been more ashamed of you!" said Mufasa._

"_Well it doesn't matter! Dad's gone now, so what's it going to be brother? You're the new king, so punish me already. I can already guess that you're going to exile me aren't you?"_

_Mufasa turned to him. Taka/Scar expected a face contorted in anger but what he saw confused him. Mufasa's expression was a mixture of anger, sadness, and confusion._

"_No, I can't do that even though you killed him…You're my brother and I was unable to keep that promise of us ruling together…So the least I can do is let you stay in the pride" said Mufasa at a low volume but still loud enough for them to hear._

"_King Mufasa, it is by your father's law that he gets some form of punishment" reminded Rafiki._

"_Yes I know…That's why I have to let you suffer a life of banishment without actually banishing you. You will stay under den arrest meaning you must stay inside your own private cave. You will be cut off from most pride interaction. You will be given little to eat and drink. This punishment will go on until the new heir to the Pride Lands is born" ordered Mufasa._

"_If you think this is better than exile then you couldn't be more wrong" growled Taka/Scar but even in his scarred eye, you can see he regretted what he had done._

"_I know…I'm sorry but that is all I can do" whispered Mufasa as he threw Hondari's body over his back. "Let's go"_

_Mufasa turned around and led them back to Pride Rock. Outside the Tree of Life, the rest of the pride waited for them. They followed their new king in silence with a few hateful glares towards Scar. Scar glared back but his expression softened when he noticed Sarafina's eyes did not show anger. There was only sadness, but not just for her father. For Taka too, the lion he once was._

-X-

**It's so sad isn't it? I'm not sure if I did as good job as I did in the last chapter. Oh well, I hope you guys liked this chapter. And please review, I worked hard on this, and it took a long time so I'd appreciate some feedback. I'll also try to answer any questions you may have on this story.**


	5. Rest In Peace

**Okay, here's the next chapter. Now before I continue, I'd just like to say that anything that seems totally out of the ordinary is okay to be put here. After all, Lion King is a fictional story, I'm fairly certain that a storm cloud can't morph into Mufasa's face. Or a monkey can talk to the dead. So if anything has some sort of magical touch to it, just know that it is fictional. Oh, and I noticed that despite what I say, a lot of you like this story. Well I have to be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing, and none of my foreshadowing, irony, sarcasm, or drama is intentional. It's just my interpretation of how Taka became Scar and everyone's relationship with each other. Finally, Scar's punishment was to show why he was so distant and hated by the pride and why I think he turned so skinny. I mean, he lives in the Pride Lands, food is plentiful, but it looks as if he's been living in the Outlands for years. So, you know, little food and water and stuff. One last thing, I've noticed how there was a lot of dissatisfaction in the second movie. Like Sarabi's lack of being there, Kovu being knocked out immediately, and Simba's quick decision to banish Kovu without listening to him first. So I'm going to make it so that it makes sense why these things happened in this chapter and the next one. I know this is long but I just had to point it out. Moving on! **

-X-

"Whoa, well, that explains the freaky scar on his face not to mention his name change" commented Timon.

"But there's something I have to ask. Was my mother in love Taka at one point?" asked Nala.

"Yes, she was. As hard it may have been to believe, the only reason she was unable to express these feeling for him was because she feared how her father would react. But as I think about those days, I believe that Hondari may have intentionally made Taka hate him" said Rafiki.

"But why would he do something like that?" asked Kovu.

"I think he wanted to make sure that the leonine prophecy would go as it was supposed to" whispered Simba coming to that realization.

Rafiki nodded to show that Simba was correct. "If Taka had not done what he did to become Scar then he wouldn't have taken over the Pridelands as a tyrant"

"And if that happened then Simba wouldn't have fit into the prophecy" finished Nala.

"Precisely"

"Sometimes fate was meant to be broken" said Kovu after a few moments of silence.

A gloomy silence fell upon them. It was only broken when Kiara spoke. "Can I hear what happened to my grandmothers now? I need something to get my mind off of what had happened to Taka"

"Right, well we can tell you about Sarabi first since most of us know what happened to her and only Zazu knows what happened to Sarafina" said Rafiki.

"Yes…Well, as you know during Scar's reign, there was a drought and all the herds moved out of the Pride Lands" started Nala.

"The drought was caused by Ahadi's anger towards his son killing his own brother" mentioned Rafiki.

"After his reign ended it had rained. We decided not to leave since already the grass was beginning to return. But the herds don't just come back overnight, we hunted at the outskirts and even then food was scarce. So we had to ration everything" continued Simba.

"Queen Sarabi wanted everyone else to survive so she ate least of all. She gave all her food to the young and weak, including, your brother Nuka" added Zazu.

This surprised both Vitani and Kovu but it aroused a new question within the latter. "But that would mean Scar was gone while Nuka was still a very young cub. But according to the other ex-Outsiders, I was handpicked by Scar to be his heir, how is that possible if I wasn't even born yet?" asked Kovu.

"Zira said that Scar came to her in a dream and told her" answered Vitani quietly.

"Yes, when Scar was still around, Zira took herself, Nuka, and the rest of Scar's followers away from the Pridelands to get more food for the overpopulated pride and the additional hyenas" said Rafiki.

"That's why they weren't there when I fought Scar" said Simba.

"And on that journey, Zira met your father, a wandering rogue" said Rafiki towards Kovu and Vitani. Once again, surprising them both.

"It took a while but Scar's followers all agreed to abide by Simba's rule. None of us knew they were ever even thinking of plotting revenge" added Nala.

"Now back to Queen Sarabi, she was very weak from the lack of food. And by the time the herds came back, it was too late to save her" finished Zazu.

"She sounds like a great queen" said Kiara quietly. "And what about Sarafina?"

They all directed their attention to Zazu who didn't look so happy. Despite his desire not to speak, he cleared his throat and began to tell the story. "As you already know, Sarafina was in love with Scar at one point. And there was a lack of male lions since he drove them all out to make certain that they wouldn't oppose him. Therefore, her mate, Akida no longer lived within the Pride Lands…"

-X-

_Sarafina looked over at Nala who was already in the middle of adolescence. She was afraid that what she was about to do was a big risk but she had to. She turned to her childhood friend and ex-queen, Sarabi._

"_Sarafina, are you sure about this?" asked Sarabi._

"_No but just look at this place. The grass is dying and the herds are leaving. We won't be able to live if this keeps up. If we're going to convince Scar to move then I'm the best lioness to do it" reasoned Sarafina._

"_But what if he gets angry and kills you for even questioning him like that?"_

"_He won't. You're not able to see it but I know that the cub we used to play with is still somewhere inside him"_

"_Sarafina…I know how you felt about him, but he's not Taka anymore, he's Scar"_

"_Then I'll bring back that Taka. Just promise me that if the end for me does come, then you take good care of Nala"_

_Sarabi was silent obviously doubting the possibility of Scar listening to her. But she agreed anyway knowing that the possibility still existed. "Alright, but what do I tell Nala when she wakes up and finds you're not there"_

"…_Tell her that I'm sorry…" whispered Sarafina as she made her way up to Scar's den. _

_Sarafina slowly walked into the den. It was quiet and stunk of death and blood. Her nose wrinkled in disgust but she quickly went back to retaining her calm composure. She took a deep breath through her mouth and walked deeper until she made it to the raised platform. She saw Scar's back turned on her. His face and upper body was covered in the shadows. But she could see his tail swishing back and forth in front of her. She turned to her right and noticed Zazu in the cage of bones. He was watching her silently but he looked as if he was unable to speak. He appeared to be signaling to her but either she didn't notice or didn't understand what it meant._

"_Scar! We need to talk! Why are you doing all of this? To the Pride Lands, to Sarabi, to me?" said Sarafina. Although she was trying to maintain her composure she felt tears trying to escape her eyes. "What happened to that cub I used to play with back then?"_

_Scar remained silent, just letting his tail move in that rhythmic motion._

"_Look at me when I'm talking to you! Don't you know how much you meant to me?"_

_Again only silence met her question._

"_Don't you know that I loved you!"_

_This time Scar answered. Only not in his voice, the lion in the shadows turned to reveal himself, or herself, as Zira. "Dear little Sarafina…Don't you know you need to make an appointment if you want a conference with the king?"_

_Sarafina gasped. Thanks to Scar's thinness, she had mistaken the lioness for Scar. "Zira! Where's Scar?"_

"_He's out lecturing the hyenas after they tried to eat little Zazu. He told me to keep an eye on the cave. I had no idea that you had felt that way about _my _mate" said the darker lioness but there was no sign of maliciousness in her voice._

"_That was a long time ago. Before he became who he was"_

_Zira chuckled lightly and crept closer to Sarafina. "You see now that's the ironic part. You loved him a long time ago, just like how he felt about you"_

_Sarafina was genuinely surprised. "What…But then-"_

"_That time Sarabi told you that Taka didn't feel that way about you? I had told her about how he didn't want a mate or ever will. I had to make sure you two didn't end up together"_

"_But, why?"_

"_Because you didn't see it! You didn't see all that potential darkness and genius that Scar was. But I did…And it's not so easy to unlock that potential with a lioness like you clinging onto him"_

"_So…You don't even love him! You just love what he is!"_

_Zira grinned again, this time, there was malicious intent seen in her eyes. "Wrong again, I love both Scar and what he is. He is a true genius, and he knows the ways to achieve success. Not like that unworthy fur ball of a lion, Mufasa" _

"_But if you were the one that manipulated Scar then I can still bring the old him back! I'm going to tell Scar the truth and then it'll be over for you" resolved Sarafina._

_Zira grinned at the same time Zazu opened his beak. "Run Sarafina!"_

_But it was too late, Zira pounced on Sarafina. Zira was well trained and had more share of the food than the other lionesses thus making her stronger than Sarafina at the time. There were loud growls and lots of blood. Sarafina was able to claw at Zira's ear causing a chunk of it to fall off. Zira growled angrily and delivered the finishing blow._

_Sarafina lay motionless before her. She was barely alive but in a matter of seconds she would die. "Just like your father" whispered Zira as Sarafina's eyes closed for the last time._

_Zira turned to Zazu. "You! I told you to keep that beak shut or I would kill every cub and adolescent here!"_

_Zazu shuddered and backed away as far as he could inside his cage. "I-I'm sorry! I panicked!"_

"_That doesn't matter anymore! I'll spare them for now. But you say one word about this to Scar and you can be sure that it'll be the end for you and the rest of those pathetic Pridelanders!"_

_Zazu trembled as he nodded his head. "Good…I'm going to get rid of Sarafina's body now so be a good little hornbill and keep that beak shut" said Zira as she slinked away with Sarafina's body._

_Once she was gone, Zazu collapsed in his cage. He still felt himself shaking as he tried to compose himself. Sarafina was gone and it was all because he was too scared to do anything. That was the end of it; the last person to have any chance of stopping Scar and changing him back was gone. Zazu began to silently weep for the lions that were gone. Mufasa…Sarafina…Simba…Taka…_

-X-

"My mother…" whispered Nala as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Simba began to whisper soothing words to her as he nuzzled her affectionately.

Kovu turned away from them. He had no idea how any of them could forgive him after all the terrible things his mother had done.

"It seems Zira was the only evil around here" muttered Kovu spitefully.

"That's not true; everyone has evil in them somewhere in their heart. Some are visible, some are not. Scar's was seen easily ever since he received the name Taka. The hate he felt for that name therefore bringing himself to hate those who gave him the name in the first place. The pride…That's why it was so easy for Zira to dig it out" said Rafiki wisely. "Kovu, you must keep your anger under control or else your inner evil may reveal itself. But this does not mean you should keep your anger bottled up. Just don't let it cloud your better judgement"

Kovu immediately took deep breaths to calm himself as Kiara let her presence be felt next to him. "Yeah, you're right as usual Rafiki"

"But wait, after my mother was gone, was that why…That day Scar called me into the den…" said Nala but struggled to say what she wanted to.

Zazu nodded anyway though. Clearly he knew what she was asking. "Yes, since Sarafina wasn't present anymore, Scar wanted the next best thing"

"What is he talking about?" asked Simba quietly.

"When I had left the Pride Lands, I wasn't leaving to run away from it. No, if that was the case I would've left a lot earlier. The real reason why I had left was because Scar tried to seduce me into becoming his mate" answered Nala.

"That's a mental image I didn't need" said Kiara, Vitani, and Timon simultaneously.

"But that didn't happen so it's all okay" soothed Simba.

"Thank you Simba" whispered Nala.

Rafiki cleared his throat loudly so that everyone turned their attention to him. "If you're finished…I do believe that princess Kiara and prince Kovu need to hear about Kopa now"

Simba and Nala remained silent. It looked like they had wanted to say something, but it was just too difficult for them.

"Mom, dad?" said Kiara.

Vitani sighed knowing that it would be too hard for the king and queen to talk about him. "If you don't mind your majesties, I could tell them about him"

"Thank you Vitani, but leave what happened to him to us at the very least" said Nala.

Vitani nodded in understanding as she turned to the youngest lions present. She took a deep breath before starting to speak. "Kopa was…He was my best friend when I was cub. Before the Outsiders were exiled. I lived here…with Kopa. He and I used to laugh and play all the time out there. He was always dragging me on insane adventures which always ended in some sort of scolding for me by Zira" Vitani's eyes were on the verge of breaking into tears but she continued. "But most importantly, Kopa was the prince of the Pridelands…He was your older brother Kiara"

Both Kiara and Kovu's eyes widened in surprise as Vitani suddenly began to cry. Kovu looked down at his older sister. He had never seen her cry before.

What he didn't know was that before he was old enough to remember anything, she always cried herself to sleep after that day. And when she returned to the Pride Lands with the other Outsiders, she cried while everyone else slept. The Pridelands was just too full of painful memories for her that would never fade away or disappear. She knew that and she hated how it made her feel weak and fragile. But she was glad, after years of neglecting that one special lion ever existed, she was finally letting her emotions for him out. It always made herself feel lighter in the morning. But no one could ever tell she cried thanks to the fronts she put up to protect herself.

Kiara turned to her parents. "A brother? Why didn't you tell me?"

"We just didn't want you to miss someone you would never meet. Or ruin your childhood by making you overly cautious" tried Simba.

"But that's what _you_ were doing! Always trying to protect me from a threat I didn't even know existed. All because I didn't know I had a brother!" said Kiara her voice rising.

"Please understand Kiara. We didn't just do it for your sake, we did it for ours as well. I know it sounds selfish but it just hurt too much to speak of Kopa so we just pretended that everything was okay" had said Nala.

"I understand that, but I just wish you told me" finished Kiara quietly.

"We're sorry, but we promise not to keep secrets from you from now on" said Simba.

"Alright…But what exactly happened to him?" asked Kiara.

Simba and Nala looked at each other before turning back to them. "Did Zira ever tell you why you and the other Outsiders were banished?" asked Simba to Kovu.

"All she told me was that it was because we were followers of Scar. But according to Vitani, that was just part of the plan to make me hate you" replied Kovu.

"I expected as much. Well the real reason for your exile was because Zira killed Kopa" said Simba, a little bit reluctantly.

Kovu's heart felt like it stopped suddenly. He knew that since he had no memory of this that meant Kopa was still a young cub when it happened. Most likely seven to nine months old. Which meant his own mother murdered a defenseless cub.

"Zira…killed him…" whispered Kovu weakly.

"It was an ambush. You were just born Kovu and all of Zira's followers distracted us. Thanks to that distraction Zira chased Kopa to the edge of the Pride Lands. And I don't mean the border; I mean the cliff side to the north of Pride Rock" said Nala.

"It was…A horrible day" recalled Zazu.

-X-

_The storm seemed to gain strength as Simba raced across the grassy fields. He could hear the roars of Zira and the terrified screams of a young cub._

"_Kopa!"_

"_Dad!"_

_Zira turned her head and noticed the silhouette of the king. Her followers were nearby keeping Vitani subdued from protecting her friend. A small bundle of dark fur mewed occasionally and you can easily tell that he was frightened despite the fact that he hadn't even opened his eyes yet._

_Zira knew she had to finish this quick before Simba arrived. She turned her head back to the scar covered cub in front of her. She raised a paw prepared to finish him._

"_No!" screamed Vitani as she tried to get to him._

_Nuka jumped in front of her, blocking her from reaching the. "Stay back you little runt!"_

_Vitani bit Nuka's forearm with her sharp teeth. He yowled in pain and jumped away from her. She tried again to reach them but two of Zira's lionesses blocked her._

"_No, KOPA!"_

"_Vitani!" was the last word the cub was able to say before Zira hit him across the face. Kopa fell over the edge of the cliff, falling into the dense jungle below._

_At the exact moment Kopa was hit, Simba reached them but it was too late. His paw was outstretched over the edge, his expression a mixture of true pain and horror._

_Zira began cackling evilly with the sound of thunder to amplify it. "Now you know my pain of losing Scar!"_

_Simba slowly stood up and turned on Zira abruptly. His expression was now one out of complete anger."You!" growled Simba as he pounced on Zira. _

_Before the rest of Zira's group joined in, the rest of the Pridelanders arrived. That included Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki, Zazu, and a pregnant Nala._

"_Go ahead and do it! Kill me like you did to Scar!" snarled Zira._

_As much as Simba wanted to, he knew his father's law commanded that a crime of this level resulted in exile, not execution evn if Kopa was the prince, the law made sure the king would not drop to the murders' level._

"_I won't kill you. No, my father's law must prevail" said Simba, slowly releasing her. "I will banish you from the Pride Lands forever. You are ever allowed back and if you do return then you will be executed on the spot. Any lionesses that want to follow you can. As for your cubs, take them with you. They may not deserve this but they also don't deserve the scorn they might receive if they stay"_

_Zira slowly stood up but she still had an evil grin. "Mark my words Simba, you will not live to see your new heir rule" _

_She took Kovu in her mouth and jerked her head into the direction of the Outlands. One of the other lionesses picked up Vitani who was trying to shake the shock of losing her best friend. Everything was going to be different now._

_Once they were gone, Simba slowly walked back towards the other Pridelanders._

"_Simba?" asked Nala._

_But one look at his saddened expression told her everything. She gasped in horror and collapsed in tears without any concern for the baby lioness inside her. She only felt the pain of losing her son._

-X-

**Such a sad chapter…I hope this tugged at your heartstrings a bit because that was my intention. Anyway, I didn't realize how much time it actually took to type out these chapters so it might take longer for a new chapter to be uploaded. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll try my best to get the next one as soon as possible. Leave a review! Ciao!**


	6. Family, Fireflies, and Farewells

**Okay, so I want to answer any questions you have and I'd love to hear who you guys think the shaman of love is. Hints will start popping up in later chapters, maybe this one too. And I have a few choice words for a few of my reviewers…**

**To T5Tango – Thank you so much for your extensive reviews. I appreciate it a lot and I love reading about your opinion. Also, I'm very flattered that you think that about my writing skills, I always thought they were average but you're causing me to think that they were better than I had thought. So thanks for that self-esteem boost.**

**To Shimmy Tsu – I'm glad I'm not the only one on this site with the same sister dilemma. Now I don't feel so alone!**

**To Lion King Girl – Well I mentioned in an earlier chapter that Sarafina's mate was a lion named Akida who was from another pride. So chances are, he's Nala's father in my imagination. I don't plan on going into detail about him because he doesn't really play a role in this story.**

**That's all for now, but I'd like to talk to my other reviewers and say something to them but I don't know what to say other than thanks for reading and I'm glad you liked it. So I hope all of you continue liking it. Oh and if any of the characters are a bit OOC, tell me because I want to keep them as in character as possible. One last thing, because I'm placing a bunch of focus into completing this and the fact that it's Friday means this chapter gets to be updated early! Woohoo! Okay, I think I've wasted enough of your time with this idle chit-chat. Back to the reason you're even still here!**

-X-

In the middle of recalling Kopa's death, Vitani slowly stood up and walked back into the den. She was depressed, everyone could tell. Nala was about to follow her but Kovu stopped her.

"Thank you Nala but you've been helping her ever since we got here. I think it's my turn to help out the only blood related family I have left" said Kovu.

Nala nodded in understanding as Kovu followed his sister into the den.

Once Kovu was gone, Kiara turned to her parents. "You said you guys would always be honest with me from now on right?" she asked.

"Of course, forever and always" promised Nala.

The other four non-lions, knew that it was more of a family members only moment so they moved down the steps of Pride Rock to give them some more space and privacy.

"Then can you tell me why you exiled Kovu? Without listening to what he or I had to say?" asked Kiara looking towards Simba.

Simba sighed knowing he would have to answer. "It's simple really…I was suddenly ambushed, completely dazed, and felt as if I was completely betrayed. With the information I knew at the time, banishing him was the right thing to do. Even though it was wrong for me to do so, it's what any other animal would've done if they were in my situation"

"But-"

"I should've listened to him? Yeah, I know. That was the main mistake I did. And I'm deeply sorry for that"

Kiara watched her father looking down and averting her gaze. He felt guilty, she knew that. She walked over to him and gave him a loving nuzzle. "It's okay dad, I understand, I just wanted to hear why" said Kiara.

"Thank you…For being part of my family" Simba said back as he returned her gesture.

Nala smiled at the scene as she looked out towards the Pridelands. She noticed how dark it had become with the moon illuminating the grass. Before she could even mention retiring to the den, fireflies began to flutter about. It was a beautiful sight for a beautiful night.

-X-

"Hey, Vitani, you okay?" asked Kovu, sitting down next to his sister.

"I'm fine Kovu…Just…I just get a little bit emotional whenever I think about Kopa" sniffed Vitani.

"Why didn't you tell me about him earlier? I could've helped you or maybe we could've averted this feud with Simba"

"Well…It was just too hard for me to say his name until now. And I thought that there would be no point to telling you about him if you were never going to meet him anyway"

Kovu remained silent before sighing softly. He was never actually very good at this sort of thing, but then again, none of the ex-Outsiders were, but he still had to try. "Well why did you agree to Zira's plans if you had so many good memories here?...If you knew that Kopa wouldn't have wanted you to do something like that?"

Vitani turned so that she was looking him in the eye. "I didn't, at least not at first. When we had first arrived to our home in the Outlands I was always depressed. I was so sad and I just didn't want anything to do with mother. She knew this and on the day of Kiara's presentation, she took me there. She wanted me to see how sad Simba and Nala were after Kopa's death. But what I saw was their smiling faces and I got angry at them. I was mad at them for smiling even after what happened to Kopa. I just kept thinking how unfair it was that I was miserable and they were happy. So I just thought they had forgotten about Kopa…And I just wanted nothing more than revenge on them"

"Well what made you change? As far as I could tell, you were the least affected by Zira's words since you were the first one to disobey her at the final battle. And yet, you say that all you could think about was vengeance" said Kovu.

"I discovered how wrong I was about them forgetting about Kopa when I attacked Nala. When I had encountered her, I said 'where's your pretty daughter Nala?' hoping it would strike a nerve. Hoping it would remind her of Kopa. But instead it angered her. When we were fighting, I yelled hurtful words to her about forgetting about Kopa. But then she pinned me down and I was just about to fight back…I felt something warm fall onto me. I looked up to see Nala crying…Even in the rain I could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. She was telling me how much she missed Kopa every day of her life…She wouldn't kill me…As a matter of fact, if I wasn't so stunned I would've killed her in that moment of weakness. But the truth was…Hearing someone else say Kopa's name with such deep sadness made me realize…I wasn't the only one who still remembered him" said Vitani softly.

"And then when me and Kiara came?" asked Kovu.

"When you two came, I looked at Simba and I realized that if Kopa was still alive…He'd be on their side. He'd look just like Simba with maybe some differences. It made me realize that that's where I belonged…Where Kopa would've been"

"That sounds just like me" Kovu chuckled.

"Huh?"

"When you and the other Outlanders ambushed me and Simba that day…I was immediately knocked out. Remember that?"

"Yeah, I do…Why did that happen? Mother trained you so hard…You were the strongest of us but you were unconscious in a matter of seconds. What happened?"

"Simple, before Kiara, I had no idea what a family meant. When I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to fight the Pridelanders nor you guys. Because before Kiara, you and the others were the only family I had. And I didn't want to hurt my own family. So when I jumped in, I held back…A lot"

"I could tell"

"And I still need that family here with me. You're the only other lion I care about that's actually related to me. I don't ever want to lose you because just like Kiara's a part of me, so are you" said Kovu as he gave her a brotherly nuzzle.

She returned the gesture. "Thanks Kovu"

"Also, don't forget that Kopa will always be a part of you as well. His memory won't ever fade away as long as you're here"

"Geez, you've been taking these king lessons to your head!" laughed Vitani, finally smiling again.

"There's the old 'Tani I know! Now why don't we go see the others outside before going to sleep?" suggested Kovu.

The two siblings exited the den to see the beautiful fireflies flying around. They walked over to the royal family who were at the bottom of Pride Rock getting a better view of the fascinating lightning bugs.

"I haven't seen so many fireflies since I was just a cub" said Vitani.

"Really, why not?" asked Kiara.

"Well, the only insects in the Outlands were termites. Not as pretty as fireflies" said Kovu.

"It's such a beautiful night" whispered Nala. "I remember watching them together when we were cubs" recalled Nala as she rested her head on Simba's shoulder.

"I remember too. Everything is just as it was all those years ago. Only this time it's better" said Simba as he looked at the other animals around them watching with them.

"Yes, I can tell that the spirits of the Great Kings are calm and peaceful now" smiled Rafiki. "Even Taka seems to be at rest"

"Taka?" questioned Kovu.

"Yes, Scar may not be up there but Taka is. He may not have been a king but that is irrelevant. If you are a good animal then you will join the Great Kings of the Past. You just won't be able to give any of the other animals any guidance like the kings do" the old mandrill chuckled. "Unless you are a shaman like me"

"And I for one am actually glad that he is up there. It gives him the chance to bond with his brother once more" smiled Zazu.

"Yeah, that would be nice" said Simba.

With this peaceful and happy atmosphere now, which was in deep contrast to how it was before, it felt as if nothing could change it. But as we all know, nothing peaceful can remain.

Timon cleared his throat, and despite his small size, was able to bring all of their attention towards him and his Pumbaa.

"Sorry for ruining this peaceful moment but I just have to tell all of you something" said Timon.

"What is it?" asked Simba.

"Well…Pumbaa and I were just talking and we plan on going back to the oasis tomorrow morning" said Timon.

"What's the oasis?" inquired Kovu.

"Just their first home. They usually travel between here and there" replied Kiara before turning back to the famous duo. "But why now? You haven't been back since a whole month ago"

"We know, we just stayed here to make sure everything had settled down. We were planning on returning earlier actually" admitted Pumbaa.

"Yeah, and besides, if I don't go back soon then Ma will start making a fuss and get all worried. You know, like how I used to whenever you got hurt in some way" added Timon.

"Well I hope you guys have a safe trip. Be careful out there and I hope you guys come back visit us soon" said Simba.

"Hey, we'll be fine big guy. Well, we better hit the hay now. Got a big day tomorrow" yawned Timon as he jumped onto Pumbaa's back.

"Well, you guys will be back for the new heir's presentation right?" asked Kiara.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world" promised Pumbaa as he trotted off to their separate den, a cave far away from the lions. It's not like you can expect them to sleep in the same cave as a bunch of carnivores.

-X-

Timon sat down right outside the cave. He just sat there and watched the fireflies and the stars. He was having a hard time trying to get to sleep while Pumbaa was snoring away inside the cave. He looked down at his paws and for a moment he thought he saw little baby meerkat paws instead of his own. He was shaken out of this daydream at the sound of something big hitting the wall of the cave.

Timon stood up and looked inside the cave. Pumbaa was ramming his head on to the cavern wall. He looked like he was suffering even though his eyes were still closed. Timon ran up to his friend and leapt onto his back.

"Pumbaa, buddy, wake up!" shouted the meerkat worriedly.

"Huh, wha?" said Pumbaa waking up and stopping his ramming. "Timon? Did something happen?"

"No…You were just having one of those nightmares again"

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?"

"Nah, I was already awake. Insomnia and stuff"

"Oh, you okay?"

"I should be asking you that. Ever since that fight with the Outsiders you've been having these nightmares again. You haven't dreamt them since that fight against Scar or when we first met. So can you tell me what those nightmares are about?"

Timon was much more considerate and generous than people gave him credit for. Pumbaa sighed knowing that he couldn't keep it a secret anymore.

"As you already know, I suffered through amnesia and there are many lapses in my memory. I don't remember my family or my home. All I could remember was being chased and tormented by carnivores. Not just hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, leopards, cheetahs, and even lions would try to hunt me down. They all called me 'pumbaa'. So all my nightmares have me at my worst memories" admitted Pumbaa.

"Gee, I'm so sorry. I always thought I had it hard with being a meerkat. Just hiding in tunnels, jumping out on rare occasions to gather grubs, and of course the old sniff, scurry, and flinch. My life was so boring but hearing your life full of danger…I'm not sure if I could go through what you did" said Timon quietly. "And all I ever did was treat you badly"

"That's not true…You became my very first friend and because of you I was happy"

"Yeah I get that…But I just think that I should've treated you a little bit better"

"Hey Hakuna Matata right?"

"Yeah…Hakuna Matata…Just like back then"

"Well what about you Timon? Why are you having trouble sleeping?"

Timon sighed exasperatedly. "Talking about Kopa and love and a disapproving guardian reminded me of that talk I had with Uncle Max and Ma before we left the oasis last time. Remember that?"

"Uh, no" said Pumbaa.

"Oh…Right you weren't there. Well I guess I could tell you now"

-X-

_Timon sighed peacefully in his hammock. He was really enjoying the life of no worries, although the Outsider situation did leave something to worry about. Then again, the last time he saw any of those Outsiders was a long time ago, when Kiara ran off from him and Pumbaa and ended up meeting that Kovu cub._

_The carefree meerkat decided to just put it off for later. He shifted into a more comfortable position and was just about to fall asleep when a large clump of dirt hit him in the face._

"_Gah!" exclaimed Timon, sitting up._

_He immediately turned to the source which of course turned out to be his very own great uncle Max who was digging into the ground. Timon sighed and walked over to his less paranoid uncle and tapped him on the back._

"_Eh? What is it Timon?" asked Max, crossing his arms with a look that said he had more important things to do._

"_Uncle Max, I've told you about a hundred times that there is no need for tunnels anymore. We can live above ground with no worries of being eaten by a predator" said Timon._

"_And I've told you that it is a meerkat's natural instinct to dig. I can't help it and besides, it doesn't hurt to be cautious you know!"_

"_Yeah, I do know. But the roots under the ground make it too hard to dig in the first place! And you've been living here for years; you should be used to it. And yet you try to dig a tunnel at least once a week!"_

"_Look, you just don't get it. And I understand that. But I'm going to tell you right now, when it comes to digging tunnels, animals like us have to do it" said Max, placing a paw on his great nephew's shoulder._

"_Because we're the bottom of the food chain I know!"_

"_No, not that…Just like how the animals in the Pridelands live with their Circle of Life, we live with ours. It's the natural order of things. And if you mess up that order, you end up being distant, an outcast. Just look at you! You've seen several summers already and yet you don't have a mate. When I was your age I was already a great grandfather. You know what that means? It means your cousins and siblings all have kits!"_

_Timon knew that his uncle was right. Sure every meerkat in the colony thought of Timon as a hero, but all of them dug from time to time. Even the newborns, they can't help it. And even though Timon was considered a hero, his individuality made it hard for female meerkats to like him._

"_Oh, hush Uncle Max. Timon is technically a parent. He's Simba's foster parent. And let's not forget that Kiara's around too. That already makes him a foster grandfather. We should be proud of him, I mean how many meerkats can say that lions are a part of their family?" said Ma as she came out from the thick foliage._

_Timon was just about to thank Ma when he noticed her expression. What she said was sincere but he could tell that she wanted real grandkids. Not a lion. His siblings had kits already but they all lived in other colonies. Timon felt heartbroken…It felt as if he had failed his family._

_He decided to hide it with a chuckle. "Yeah, Simba and Kiara are a great family after all. Speaking of them, Kiara's first hunt is coming up soon. Me and Pumbaa should probably get going so we can cheer her on and stuff"_

"_Oh, well, how long do you think you'll be gone?" asked Ma._

"_A while maybe… Don't worry though; we'll be back as soon as possible" promised Timon as he turned around so he wouldn't have to face them with an expression of shame and guilt._

"_Alright, just be sure to stay out of trouble over there" said Ma._

"…_No problem Ma…"_

-X-

**Alright! An early update! I feel so proud of myself! Thank you Friday! Anyway, seriously guys, I'd really appreciate some feedback. Anything really. I just love reviews, they make me happy. No really, I work hard on these chapters; it irritates me to watch huge spikes in my view chart and so little reviews. Please say something! I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as possible, oh and the next chapter will most likely be meerkat centered (Hooray, a Timon and other meerkats chapter!). Stay tuned! **


	7. Unnatural Order

**Hey, what's up? I'm back and just so all of you are aware, chapters will not be uploaded as fast as that last one so don't start expecting it. So, lately this week I've been busy with a Spanish exam, PSAT, and new anime videos I've been watching. Sorry if I'm a little late for some of you. This chapter is one some of you have been waiting for. Now for my reviewer shout outs! BTW, I plan on doing this for every chapter from now on.**

**To Shimmy Tsu – I'm currently taking Spanish in school and I can see why it's be so difficult to read. And I hope that this story will be satisfying enough so that you won't lose interest in it. Anyway, I wish I could type this up personally in Spanish but I feel that it would be totally unfair for other readers. But I really admire your dedication to reading stories that aren't even in your language. P. S. Gracias!**

**To TigerFlower08 – Good, that's what I was going for. I, like many others, feel that the makers of Lion King didn't go into depth with the characters and their backgrounds. Also, what I did with Vitani's line was sort of a…Well I was winging it. Actually that's what I'm doing with this entire story. I'm actually thinking of the ideas as I go on. But I already have a few parts and the ending so you don't have to worry about delays. Finally, thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**To Queen Mufasa94 – Kopa will be coming in very soon. It could be this chapter, it might be the next one. But it'll be **_**very**_** soon, no need to worry. Also, as much as I'd love to read your new stories, I'm not sure that they appeal to my taste. Don't take it personally, I love anything well written but some cases just don't apply. I'd love to read it but I just don't like certain topics like unfaithfulness unless it's applied to an OC or a character I think might actually be unfaithful. I also don't like gender bender or incest fics. So, **_**The Lion Queen: The Beginning, Kiara's True Heir,**_** and**_** Love That's Forbidden**_** might not appeal to me. Remember, it's nothing personal and I just want to let my other readers know that they should try them out if they'd like to. (To make up for me not reading them) I hope you don't hate me for this, I just hope you continue to read and review this story. Thank you.**

**Wow, that was longer than I expected. Maybe I won't do this…Eh, we'll find out. Tell me what you guys think, should I or should I not do this? Also, let me hear your thoughts. I'd really appreciate it. To the story!**

-X-

"I just felt like a failure. Not as a meerkat, I always knew I was a failure at that but I just never cared about that. But as a son…" said Timon as he stared at the cold hard ground. "A long time ago, I would have never admitted it but I always wanted kits of my own. I always wanted to be a father. Taking Simba in gave me the chance to experience that but it's not the same as raising a kit"

"Well you could always have kits now. I'm sure it's not too late" tried Pumbaa.

Timon sighed and shook his head. "You don't get it Pumbaa, it's not that I'm too old or anything. It's that I've upset the natural order of not just the Circle of Life but the entire natural world! I raised a lion, a predator of meerkats, I was never good at digging, a basic skill that even newborns of my species could do, and I'm best friends with a warthog!"

As soon as those last couple of words left his mouth the meerkat immediately regretted them. He looked up at his friend to see him on the brink of breaking down and bawling.

"I never knew you felt that way" whispered Pumbaa sadly as he turned away.

"No, no, no, I didn't mean it, I was just ranting and it just slipped out" apologized Timon.

"It didn't sound like that to me"

Timon sighed and turned his back to him but he wasn't one to give up so easily. "Pumbaa…Buddy…You know I have trouble expressing my feelings. And I'm sorry for offending you, it's just that…I just upset the natural order of things all the time and it just feels as if I'm completely messed up. You're my best friend and I love you, there is no way I can deny that"

"You really mean that?"

Timon smiled and turned back to his best friend who was now tearing up out of happiness. "Of course, how could I ever lie to you?"

"Oh, thanks buddy!" exclaimed Pumbaa as he embraced the small mammal in his crushing grip.

"Gah...Pumbaa…Choking…Not breathing"

"Oh, sorry"

"It's okay, I guess I deserved it"

"You know, even though Simba isn't exactly your legitimate son, he's certainly like one to you. And isn't that close enough?"

"No…A young one needs more than a physical figure as a parent. He needs someone to be there for him emotionally. And I was never able to do that. Besides, I didn't even care about him at first; I just wanted him around to protect us"

"But you grew to love him"

"Yeah, I know! But I already told you, I want to be a real father, with a kit, not a lion cub. No offense to Simba or anything" said Timon as he walked back outside and slumped down.

Pumbaa came and joined him. Unlike Timon, emotional support was more of Pumbaa's scope of ability. It was easy for him to use words to get someone to feel happy again. For reference, just look at what happened when Simba had a nightmare as a cub, Pumbaa made him feel better with just a few choice words.

"You know Timon…The way I see it…The natural order of things is like fate and like Kovu said, sometimes fate was meant to be broken" said Pumbaa slowly.

"Well I think I did more than break it" muttered Timon.

"Just look at what you've got Timon. You've got a mother that truly loves you, you're surrounded by predators but they don't eat you and instead most of them treat you like a friend, and finally you have me to support you. Just remember that if you ever fall, there are so many other that are there to lift you back up. Me, Simba, Ma, Kiara…We're all here for you"

Timon smiled as he lay down in the grass and looked up at the stars. "Yeah, guess I've been so busy self-pitying myself that I never realized how lucky I was to have friends and family like all of you"

"And you know, we're all lucky to have you as a friend. Me and Simba especially. If it weren't for you, I might've been alone for the rest of my life. And Simba might as well be dead"

"What are you talking about? You were the one who wanted to take the kid in"

"But when you realized that a diet of grubs wasn't enough to feed a growing cub, you taught him how to hunt even though you were afraid he might crave meat and later us"

"I just didn't want him to die on us. So I just gave him the most basic thing to do. Crouch, sneak, and pounce! Very similar, yet different to a meerkat's sniff, scurry, and flinch tactic" Timon chuckled. Then he pointed up at the stars. "I'm starting to believe that whole dead kings in the sky thing. For a moment I thought I saw an image of a lion smiling at me"

Pumbaa smiled and lied down next to him. "To be honest, though I always believed in my theory, I've always believed that Simba may have been right. Never for a single night have I ever not heard someone saying thank you to me since the day we rescued Simba. It's like his dad is thanking us"

"Okay that's just freaky, but you're not wrong. Sometimes I hear that too…I think I'll finally be able to sleep"

"Yeah…Me too"

"Good night"

"Sleep tight"

"Dream about bed bugs tonight" finished the two of them sleepily before falling into a peaceful sleep.

-X-

When the sun was still up hours earlier, there were two male lions and a female meerkat walking across what seemed to be a never ending desert. Actually the meerkat wasn't really walking, she was sitting on top of one of the lions.

"Thanks again for saving me back there Hasani" said the younger of the two lions. He had huge scars all over his sides. His eyes were similar to the royal red of Simba if maybe a little bit paler. The shade of his fur and mane were between that of Simba's and Kovu's, closer to the prior though. His size, again was in between the two lions mentioned earlier.

"I told you already, there's no need to thank me. I'm just that nice of a lion" said the other lion, Hasani. He was rather large in stature and had a very deep voice. He had lime green eyes and a dark brown mane. His fur in contrast was rather a light tan. "How did you almost fall into that pit of crocodiles anyway?"

"He's got very little balance" said the meerkat with a grin.

"No, I just lost my footing for a second, that's all" said the unnamed lion defensively.

"Sure…" chuckled the meerkat.

"I need to ask, what's a meerkat such as you traveling with a lion for?" asked Hasani.

"Junior here needed someone to take care of him. Now here are two questions for you, do you plan on eating me and why are you traveling in this direction like us?" asked the meerkat.

Hasani chuckled lightly before answering. "No, I don't plan on eating you. And I'm just a sightseer. The pride to the east just happens to be my next destination"

"Funny, we're heading there too! Maybe the three of us could travel together!" suggested the unnamed lion.

"By the way, I forgot to ask earlier but what are your names?" asked Hasani.

"I'm Tamina from the meerkat colony near the lion pride in the Western lands" said the meerkat.

"The Western colony! That's a long trip from the Eastern pride" said Hasani in surprise.

"Hey, I'm just a meerkat looking for a little excitement in my life" smiled Tamina.

"I'm Simba, to be honest I'm not sure where I'm from. I was in this accident when I was really young and I suffered amnesia so Tamina took me in" said the lion.

"Simba, huh, that's a strange coincidence, the king of the Eastern pride happens to have the same name" commented Hasani.

"Really? That's good because we think that the Eastern pride is tied in with Simba's past and that's why were heading there in the first place" said Tamina.

"Hey what's that?" inquired Simba stopping.

The other two looked in the direction he was facing. In the distance they could see a ton of foliage. Upon closer inspection it looked like a jungle of some sort that stood in the middle of the scorching desert. When they were standing in front of the jungle, Simba and Tamina remained gaping at it while Hasani just appeared amused by their reactions.

"It's an oasis; I've seen many of them on my travels. Good thing we bumped into one, I'm starting to get thirsty and a tad bit hungry too" chuckled Hasani as he entered with the other two following along.

"You mean there might be food for lions here?" said Simba.

"Well, maybe only small birds and a few lizards but they should be enough to keep us going for the rest of the journey to the East pride" informed Hasani.

"I see a lot of grubs for me to eat" commented Tamina as she eyed a few insects crawling up a tree.

"Just don't do it in front of me" Simba shuddered.

"Oh come on, if I can stand watching you eat a zebra carcass then you can handle watching me eat a worm or a snail" grinned Tamina.

"Did you really have to let that memory resurface?" whined Simba like a cub.

"Oh man up!" laughed Tamina.

"Guess there really is the first time for everything. Especially since I'm see a prey and predator behaving like long time friends for the first time" mused Hasani.

The two lions stopped near a water hole where they both bent down to take a few laps of water. Tamina hopped down from Simba to do the same. Before any of them could settle down and relax though, a voice called out to them from behind.

"Simba, is that you?"

Simba, of course responded immediately by turning around to see two meerkats behind them. One was a female who was maybe a couple years older than Tamina. The other was an old male with gray fur and cowering behind the female meerkat. He was maybe twice as old as Tamina. And trust Simba, Tamina wasn't the youngest meerkat in the colony.

"Erm, how do you know my name?" asked Simba.

"So I was right! You aren't him! You're predators here to eat us!" screamed the male meerkat in panic.

"Wait-" Simba tried.

"Uncle Max calm down, they have a meerkat with them" said the female meerkat.

Unfortunately the meerkat named Max screamed and passed out.

-X-

"I am so sorry for his reaction to your friends. He's still not used to lions coming here sometimes" said Ma as she poured some beetle stew into a bowl made of leaves for Tamina.

"That's fine, my colony isn't so used to it even though they live near the pride" said Tamina. She took a sip from her bowl and looked through the thick foliage. She saw dozens of meerkats roaming around, relaxing, eating grubs, anything they wanted. She had never seen so many meerkats above ground and having so much fun. Of course, many were not comfortable in the presence of two lions so the carnivores went off hunting for birds and lizards to avoid them. She turned her gaze back inside and noticed Max beginning to rouse from his unconscious state.

"So I'm guessing that your lion friends aren't from the Pride Lands then" assumed Ma.

"No, we're heading there actually, in hopes that it'll trigger some memory for Simba. He suffered through amnesia as a young cub and I took him in" explained Tamina.

"Huh, I never thought I'd live to see another meerkat crazy enough to take in a predator" muttered Max grumpily. He seemed a lot more calm and composed now that the lions weren't anywhere near.

"Max" scolded Ma. "Sorry dear, he's just grouchy. I'm Maisha by the way, but you can just call me Ma, everyone else does. And this is Max"

Tamina smiled. "No worries, lots of meerkats think I'm crazy. I'm used to that. But you and many of the others here don't. I'm going to guess that it has to do with this 'another meerkat' that Max mentioned right?"

"Well, yes, my son raised a lion cub himself. The cub had run away from his past for complicated reasons but then he returned and he's living there now. My son and his best friend are there right now too" said Ma. "That lion cub is like my son's foster son. Coincidentally, that foster son is also named Simba and he looks a lot like your Simba. Only without the scars, the darker fur, and not to mention that he happens to be king of the Pride Lands"

"So I see, I never thought there'd be another of my kind that would be brave enough to take care of a carnivore other than myself. Well maybe fearless Buzz as well" chuckled Tamina. It was meant to be taken lightly but Ma and Max tensed up.

"Maybe you should start from the beginning. Explain to us why you're traveling with two lions and why you're heading towards the Pridelands" suggested Max when he noticed Ma looking as if she wanted to cry.

Tamina noticed Ma's expression and nodded. She didn't know why or what it was about but she decided it might be for the best. "I guess I should start with when I first met Simba…"

-X-

**Okay I'm going to end it right here. I know it may be a few hundred words less than a usual chapter but I just feel that the rest of my ideas won't fit here. Anyway, I'm fairly certain that we all know that this Simba is actually Kopa. So I'm just going to refer to him as Kopa (Unless someone says his name) to prevent any confusion when him and our Simba are in the same setting. And in my last chapter ending, I basically demanded reviews and I apologize for that. I feel as if I made some of you uncomfortable. I'd also like to apologize for the awkward transition from our familiar Timon and Pumbaa moment to an unfamiliar OC stage. But it had to be done. Hope none of you hate me and I hope you will all continue reading because the next chapter will be about Kopa. Finally! Please review if you want to.**


	8. Kopa's Life

**I am now devoting most of my free time into completing this story. Mostly because I realized that if I continue at this rate then there will be a ton of chapters. So I'm going to try and fit as much as I can into each chapter. You know, make use of any extra space. Anyway, I am very pleased with all the attention this story has gotten. None of my other stories have ever done this well but don't look into them unless you're a Digimon fan. As you should know, this is my one and only Lion King fic so far but I plan on writing up sequels and such. You know, to hopefully fill up all the kings and shamans from my prophecy. Probably not all of them though. So here are my reviewer shout outs.**

**To T5Tango – I wasn't exactly talking about Timon's character transition, I always felt that side of him was there. I meant the scene transition from Timon and Pumbaa to Tamina and two others. But thanks anyway and I'm glad you like my Mufasa implication.**

**To Shimmy Tsu – Gracias! Yo quiero hablar en espanol pero estoy un poco mal. I'm not really sure what I said is correct considering I don't have accents or the squiggly line above the 'n' in espanol but you know. Thanks for the offer to help me with my Spanish and I'm glad you like my story.**

**That's it for now. I wanted to make sure it was shorter than my last one so I don't have to waste so much time and just get on with the story. But here I am rambling on again. Anyway, to the story! **

-X-

_The young little lion cub struggled to open his eyes. Everything hurt, even his fur felt like it did. As a matter a fact, it felt as if he had fallen off of a very high cliff after being nearly mauled to death by a crazed lion._

"_Hey, kid, wake up!" called a far away voice. It was female and she sounded both agitated and worried, an odd combination._

_The cub felt a nudge and his eyes fluttered open. He looked down to notice that he was lying in a pile of leaves and there was a meerkat looking up at him._

"_Er…Hello?" grunted the cub as he attempted and failed to sit up._

"_Just lie down. You're hurt and you shouldn't be moving. Especially not with those injuries" said the meerkat as she dragged a leg of an antelope towards him._

_The lion cub heard his stomach growl and two things went through his mind at that moment. Where was he and what was a meerkat doing with an antelope leg? His stomach growled again and he decided to ignore his second question and took a bite out of the dead herbivore limb._

"_So, you okay? You have some nasty cuts all over your sides" informed the meerkat as she ripped off some tree bark to find numerous insects crawling among it. It was then he noticed some interesting features about her. First, she carried a sharp stick around her waist which was tied to her with the thinnest vine he had ever seen. She had this permanent angry expression on her eyes. Meaning she looked as if she was glaring all the time. And finally, she was much older than he was if he was a meerkat._

_The cub glanced at his sides to see leaf bandages around them. There were no signs that he was hurt except for the scent of grounded herbs emanating from the bandages. It stunk and there was a small hint of blood mixed with it. "I think I'm fine…What happened to me?"_

"_How should I know? One minute I'm getting prepared to rest in my hammock and the next, plop! You fell right onto it from the sky" said the meerkat as she took a bite of a rather large grub._

"_Oh...sorry"_

"_For what?"_

"_Well, you look and sound angry so I just presumed that you were mad about me falling into your hammock" _

_The meerkat groaned. "Not this again…Look I don't mean to sound mad I just do. It could be because I like to release my pent up anger at everything" _

"_Oh…Well where is this pent up anger coming from?" asked the cub._

"_Who knows? It could be from the non-appreciation I receive. Or the fact that no one really likes me. Or that I'll probably never find a mate. Or maybe even my dad for leaving me and mom years ago for a teenaged meerkat!"_

"_I'm sorry"_

"_You don't have to apologize for every little thing. You're young; you're supposed to be curious. I think I'd be more worried if you didn't ask me anything"_

"_Well…Why did you save me? I mean, not that I don't appreciate it but why? I'm a lion and you're a meerkat…It doesn't make sense"_

"_Species doesn't matter…I'm the savior of the pride that lives near my colony anyway"_

"_Really, the savior?"_

"_Oh yeah" the angered expression seemed to disappear when she was reminiscing. "Once a huge pack of hyenas infiltrated the lands that belonged to King Amri, the ruler of the Western pride, the general area where I'm from. Now, as you should know, lions are much more powerful than hyenas but they largely outnumbered the lions. I stepped in the minute I could. Before that invasion of hyenas I always protected my colony from every predator out there, jackals, wild dogs, cheetahs, you name it…I went straight to the leader of those pesky pups and took her down. It's easy when you know how to fight like me"_

"_So you fought against hyenas and won? That is so cool!" exclaimed the cub as he attempted to jump up and down in excitement._

"_Whoa there, slow down or you'll reopen those wounds" grinned the meerkat. Her scowl was gone and she was finally smiling, sort of._

"_So I'm going to guess you caught this antelope leg all by yourself then?"_

"_Of course not! I may be tough but I have the heart not to kill another. No, this was leftovers from a hyena feast. I just chased them off and dragged that back"_

"_I guess that makes more sense" nodded the cub._

_The meekat nodded in agreement before throwing her tree bark away. She stood up and turned around. "Well, guess I'll be going then, see you around!"_

"_Wait, you're just going to leave me?" the cub called after her._

"_What did you expect? That I'd take you along with me on my travels? No way kid, I'm a strict independent"_

"_B-But…I'm hurt so I won't be able to fend for myself!"_

_The meerkat stopped not even thinking how the cub could live alone out in the wilderness. He was badly injured and he was rather young. It was clear he wouldn't be able to hunt. And the closest pride that she knew of was very far away. A three week walk at most for an injured lion cub. She sighed._

"_I must be crazier than my fellow meerkats think I am" muttered the meerkat. "Alright fine…You can come with me but only until you're able to take care of yourself. And you have to stay out of trouble and listen to every word I say" she nstructed._

"_Right! Thank you so much, I promise I won't be a burden" said the cub with a huge smile._

"_Good to know…Now that that's over…Allow me to introduce myself, the name's Tamina. What about you?"_

"_I'm-" The lion stopped, realizing he didn't remember his name. Or anything for that matter except for obvious things like the different animals, sights, and smells."I don't know…I can't remember anything actually"_

"_Seems like amnesia" analyzed Tamina._

"_Amne-what?" _

"_Amnesia, basically its memory loss, it usually happens when you knock your head really hard or you went through some trauma. I'm going to guess the latter since your cuts look as if they were done by another lion"_

"_You mean I was attacked by another lion?"_

_For some odd reason, he could hear someone faintly screaming out a name. Then a flash of this dark and rather scary lioness appeared in his mind. She was cackling madly as her bloodied claws tried to reach him._

_The cub shuddered as Tamina nodded. "Pretty much…But don't worry, if anyone comes to attack you, I'll fight them off. But whatever you do, no matter how bad the situation is for me, you do not, repeat do not come and help me. You are to run away from danger, not to it"_

"_But why? Why do you need to risk your life to protect mine?"_

"_I'm not sure…Something about you just tells me that I have to protect you. Like you're important or something"_

"_Well thanks…I never met, at least not one I remember, a prey animal willing to throw their life away for a predator"_

"_Well…I'm just crazy that way" smiled Tamina. "Now we need to give you a name, anything ring a bell to you?"_

"_What about something cool like 'Claw' or 'Storm'?" he offered._

"_No…We need something that suits you…I know! What about Simba? It means lion" said Tamina._

"_Simba…That name seems familiar to me…I like it!"_

"_Alright then! From this day onward, you will be named Simba!"_

_From that day on Tamina had met her first friend outside the Western lands. He wasn't a meerkat or even another prey animal. No, he was a lion, different and yet perfect to be her partner. He became her best friend and soon she was even teaching him the fundamentals of hunting._

-X-

_An adolescent Kopa (Simba II) pounced on an unsuspecting gazelle. Unfortunately for him, the prey animal was quite experienced in avoiding predators and leaped out of the way at the very last second. In the end, Kopa ended up with a face full of dirt._

_He looked up to hear laughing coming from a protruding rock from out of the grass. There he saw his friend Tamina holding her sides as she tried to calm herself._

"_It's not funny, it's a lot harder than it looks you know" complained Kopa._

"_Oh don't be such a sour puss" giggled Tamina. "It may be hard for you but I've improved on my hunting skills. Just watch and learn"_

_Tamina jumped into the grass and crawled away. He noticed her crawling towards a zebra stealthily. She jumped right onto his back catching him in surprise. She held onto him as he bucked and bounced in an attempt to shake her off. But her grip was firm and she held on. When she had the chance, she jumped onto his snout and punched him in the eye. The zebra pulled back onto his hind legs and shrieked in pain. Tamina jumped down and ran straight for the prey's hind legs and pushed it out from under him. The zebra fell in a heap of dust and Kopa's jaw dropped in shock and humiliation._

"_Dinner is served, so you come and deliver that finishing blow because it's just plain impossible for me to kill something this big" Tamina grinned as she jumped onto Kopa's back._

_Kopa smiled and did exactly that. It was already late so by nightfall the two of them were lying next to each other under the stars. It was another beautiful night, perfect for stargazing, which for some reason was Kopa's favorite activity, his second most favorite activity was to watch the sunrise. He always told Tamina that it had something to do with his past but he had no idea what._

"_So, what do you think those stars are? Like where did they come from and stuff?" asked Tamina out of the blue._

"_Hmm…They could be anything really" said Kopa._

"_Well I don't know about you but I say they look a lot like fireflies" said Tamina thoughtfully._

"_Fireflies? I swear Tammy, you see everything as food for you" chuckled Kopa._

"_No, no, no, not fireflies as a grub but as the beautiful lightning bugs they are. What about you?"_

"_Hmm…I never gave it much thought. I always thought of stars as just stars. But I do always have this thought in the back of my mind that tells me that they're something much more. Something important…"_

"_Important…Huh…Pretty lights high in the sky seem pretty much irrelevant to me…Maybe it has something to do with your past"_

"_Maybe…If I ever find my pride…The one I've forgotten…Will I have to stay with them?"_

"_That's your choice buddy, if you want to stay with them you can. If anything they probably think you're dead so if they see that you're alive then they'd probably be all excited and happy. They'd probably want you to stay"_

_Kopa seemed unsatisfied with this answer. He stood up so that he could have a better look at the meerkat. "What about you? If my real family wanted to take me back in then what would you do?"_

"_I'd probably have to move on…You know, a prey animal living among a pride of lions would probably be inappropriate" said Tamina as she sat up._

"_But you get along with the Western pride well…Why can't that be the same with whatever pride I came from?"_

"_Because I'm a meerkat from the colony of their lands…I live there…I've earned their respect…It's not that easy to do the same for strangers"_

"_But you took me in, you helped me live…They would accept you if-"_

"_No they wouldn't! They're lions! One of the predators of my species! That means they could eat me in their sleep!" shouted Tamina who was now standing._

_Kopa was silent before turning away. "A friend once told me that species didn't matter. I always believed that that was true…But clearly it's not since even the one who said it doesn't believe it" With that Kopa walked back to a cave that the two of them were staying for the night._

_Tamina sighed sadly knowing that she had hurt him. She walked towards him and sat down near the entrance. "Look I'm sorry for my outburst…I guess I didn't want you clinging onto me. You have a family out there and they probably miss you so much. I guess I was just looking for an excuse for you to stay with them instead of me"_

"_You could always join a colony that lived near them"_

"_And if that colony didn't accept me?"_

"_You could live nearby, besides you're tough enough to take care of yourself. I've seen you fight off a lioness before"_

"…_Kopa…You have a family…I don't…My mother passed away just a month ago…None of my siblings, cousins, or other relatives care about me…And just because I was never able to know what a real family felt like doesn't mean you can't. You deserve to live with your family and your family deserves to be with you…I can't just live with a pride…"_

"_I guess not…But if I do stay with my family then I wouldn't be happy"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because my family would be incomplete…You're a part of it"_

_Kopa gave her a light nuzzle by rubbing his head on her back. She smiled and accepted it. She then climbed onto his back and relaxed._

"_Thanks Simba…Guess you're right…I do have a family…And that family being you is better than anything I could ever ask for…" said Tamina softly._

"_Good night Tammy…" said Kopa with a smile when he noticed that she had fallen asleep._

_He yawned and rested his head in his paws. With that he slowly drifted into a pleasant dream. One with lush grass, a young lioness cub, a mighty lion with a majestic red mane, a beautiful lioness with loving eyes, and Tamina lying in the shade. Although none of this he would remember in the morning. _

-X-

"_Ow, could you just be a little gentler?" asked Kopa as he felt the bandages tighten around his hind leg._

"_Of course, how did this happen by the way?" asked an elderly elephant who was wrapping the bandages._

_The elephant was named Kamaria. She was the shaman of the Western lands. She was tending to a wound that Kopa, now an adult, had received while hunting._

"_I got it while I was out hunting. I sort of scratched it onto some jagged rocks" replied Kopa._

"_So, I see…So how is everything?" asked Kamaria._

"_It's fine…Um, Kamaria, can I ask you something?" asked Tamina._

"_Of course, what is it Tamina?" replied Kamaria._

"_Well, I was wondering if you knew of a land with lush green grass, a barren wasteland at the border, a huge gorge, and a majestic looking pointy rock" said Tamina._

"_Well that would be the Pride Lands, the Eastern lands. Why do you ask?" said Kamaria as she made the finishing touches to the bandages._

"_I sort of had a dream about it. I think I've had similar dreams before but this was the first time I remembered it" explained Kopa._

"_Ah, so you believe that Simba here might be from these lands?" concluded Kamaria._

"_Yeah…Do you know where the pride there lives?" asked Tamina._

"_At the protruding rock that you described as pointy" said Kamaria._

"_And when you say the Eastern lands you mean of the four great kingdoms right?"_

"_Yes"_

"_Four great kingdoms, what's that?" asked Kopa._

"_The four great kingdoms are the lands to the west, east, north, and south. Where great kings live…The youngest of the four are the Eastern lands which was discovered only four kings ago. They are also known as the Pride Lands or the Land of The Rising Sun since they are the first of the four kingdoms to see the sunrise" said Kamaria."Each of these kingdoms is governed by a king who is accompanied by a shaman"_

"_So you're the shaman of the Western kingdom then" concluded Kopa._

"_Precisely"_

"_Thanks Kamaria, for everything" said Tamina as the two got ready to go._

"_Wait, do you two plan on going there?" asked the elephant._

"_Yeah, we do…Simba's real family deserves to know that he's still alive and we plan on telling them that" said Tamina._

"_I praise you for your noble cause but what will happen? Will you stay or will you return?" asked Kamaria._

"_I'm not sure, that's up to Simba" shrugged Tamina._

"_And I won't know until we get there" said Kopa._

"_But if he does stay then I'll come back to tell you, if we come back then obviously we'd both return, and if we both decide to stay then I guess you'll know the answer if we don't" said Tamina._

"_Then I wish you a safe journey…Until the day we meet again" said Kamaria with a bow._

"_Thank you for your help all these years. We appreciate it" said Tamina as she and Kopa bowed back. She hopped onto Kopa's back and they ventured out. Thus the two of them began their journey to the Pride Lands._

-X-

_The log appeared sturdy enough but one slip and they would tumble into a river of hungry crocs. It wasn't a very pleasant thought._

"_Are you sure there's not another way across?" asked Kopa._

"_Aw come on, don't be so scared. We just need to cross that bridge and we'll be safe. Nothing to it" said Tamina from atop his head._

"_Easy for you to say, you're not wider than the log"_

_Tamina rolled her eyes. "Do you want to turn back then?"_

"_No…" said Kopa and then he sighed. "Fine, we'll walk across it"_

"_That's my boy"_

_Kopa slowly took a step onto the bridge, half expecting it to break. When it didn't he began walking across. It was a slow walk and he kept looking down to see if the crocodiles were still there watching them. They were and boy did they look hungry. When they were halfway there Kopa slipped._

"_Whoa!"_

"_Simba!" shouted Tamina in panic as she held onto his mane._

_Kopa was barely hanging on with his claws gripping the bark of the log. His feet dangled from the edge and they were dangerously close to the teeth of the hungry reptiles._

"_I'm going to slip!" shouted Kopa in panic._

"_Hold on, I'll get help!" said Tamina as she jumped back onto the log._

_Unfortunately she had no idea what or who she was looking for. On one side was the beginning of a desert and on the other was a dense jungle. She didn't see anything or anyone that would be strong enough to pull her friend out of this situation. So she mustered all the strength she could and grabbed onto one of his paws. She pulled with all her might but no matter how strong a meerkat was they would never be able to pull up a full grown lion._

"_Tamina, you have to let go!" shouted Kopa. "If you don't then you'll fall too!"_

"_No way! I'm not going to abandon you!" said Tamina._

_Her grip was loosening ever so slightly and she felt the color drain from her face when she accidentally let go. She heard Kopa yell and saw him falling and the reptiles snapping their jaws from under him. But right before he fell into the pit, a large paw grabbed him. And then another gripped his other paw._

"_Don't worry, I've got you kid" said an adult male lion. He pulled Kopa up and relaxed. "You okay?"_

"_Y-yeah, thank you sir, you saved my life" said Kopa through gasps of air._

"_Don't mention it. And no need to call me sir, the name's Hasani"_

"_Thank goodness you were here to help, if you hadn't my friend would've died" said Tamina._

"_No problems, so I'm going to guess you guys are heading in the direction as I am" said Hasani as he gestured towards the east._

"_Yeah we are" said Kopa._

"_Great, then why don't I accompany you until we part ways. You know what they say, the more the merrier" suggested Hasani._

"_That sounds like a great idea. Let's go!" smiled Tamina._

_Hasani smiled in return and he followed the two of them as they entered the desert. It was going to be a long trek, especially with little food. But somehow they knew that they would be able to make it as long as they stuck together._

-X-

**This is the only time the entire chapter will be in italics. I hope. Anyway, I'd really appreciate any feedback if you could. Thanks for reading and here's a little something to you Disney fans out there. If you watched **_**Disney's Make Your Mark**_** on 10/19/12 then you saw the dancers compete for a place in **_**Shake It Up**_**. Well I'm just here to tell you to vote for whoever you want but please support me when you say you vote for Starley and Chris because I think they're the best! See you guys at my next update which by the way, will get faster, hopefully. **


	9. Dreaming of Departures

**I am so disappointed right now. I feel upset and sad. And if anyone wonders why, I'll tell you. I'm receiving very little reviews lately and the numbers just keep dwindling. I feel like I lost some readers because of my chapter with the awkward transition. Please tell me I'm wrong by sending reviews to make me happier. Oh and recently I learned that Mohatu was actually Uru's father, sorry about my misplaced facts. But for our intents and purposes let's just pretend that he was Ahadi's father. I don't like editing because it always messes up the word count. Now I'm going to do something different. I'm going to do a celebrity shout out.**

**To Bridgit Mendler – Congrats to your debut album! It's called **_**Hello My Name Is…**_**I'm hoping some of you will buy it because her music is amazing. It's a really mature sound and it's fantastic. It has songs like All I See is Gold, 5:15, Rocks at my Window, and her hit single, Ready or Not.**

**To Taylor Swift – Congrats to the release of your newest album, **_**Red**_**. It is amazing and has some of my most favorite songs ever. I just love her and her music. It is just amazing with songs like We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Red, Begin Again, and my personal favorite, I Knew You Were Trouble.**

**To iCarly – It is so sad because their show is ending. Their final season is on the air and I want all of you to watch it before it's over. It is a fantastic show with the best comedy. It is totally hilarious and in my opinion the best of all the shows ever made by Dan Schneider.**

**To David Archuleta – I just wanted to wish you good luck on your mission. I know that you went off on it a while ago but I just wanted to send you some good luck. And I'm hoping you all buy his newest album called **_**Begin**_**. Out of every singer out there I think that David is the one who is the most inspirational. His music means something and it deserves to be heard. Good luck on your mission! **

**That's it for now. The reason why I'm skipping over my reviewer shout outs is because I feel that this stuff needed to be known. Plus I'm low on reviews so please send me some more! (I'm also upset that DJ's Mix won **_**Make Your Mark**_** instead of Starley and Chris)**

-X-

"You don't want to lose him do you?" asked Ma suddenly.

"Huh, what do you mean?" asked Tamina.

"When you talk about your memories of you and Simba together…You have this light laugh around you. You don't want to lose him so part of you doesn't want to go find his family" deduced Ma.

"I guess…But like I said his family deserves to know he's alive…And I somehow know that he's going to want to stay…It's his home" said Tamina, her voice breaking.

"Honey, home is where the heart is. My little Timmy has two homes, here because this is where his family is and the Pride Lands because that's where the other half of his family live" smiled Ma.

"That's why he's always coming in between here and there" added Max.

"And you could always live here, it's only a day's journey from here and the Pridelands" suggested Ma.

"Really?" sniffed Tamina. "It's only a day's journey and I can live here? I won't be any trouble?"

"Well…" started Max but was interrupted by Ma. "Of course not sweetie and the lions there are really nice too. I'm sure they would let you stay with them, maybe in that extra den where Timon and Pumbaa sleep" said Ma.

"We haven't heard from them in a month, are you sure he hasn't been eaten?" inquired Max.

"Oh hush, Simba would never let that happen to him. But that does remind me, why don't I accompany you?" offered Ma.

"You want to come with us?" asked Tamina.

"Of course, it'll give me a chance to see my two boys again and it'll be best to have me around or else a lion might mistake you and your companions for intruders" explained Ma.

"…Well when you put it that way I guess I can't disagree…" shrugged Tamina. "What about you Max, you want to come with us too?"

"Oh no, I'm not stepping foot on predator grounds. I'd much rather stay here in my carnivore free zone…Or at least it is carnivore free for most of the time" said Max. "Besides I am the colony chief, I have to look after them all. If I'm not here then the whole place would be in mass hysteria"

"A simple no would've sufficed" giggled Tamina before her face became serious once more. She kept thinking about the effect of her colony if she was gone. Would they even miss her? It's not as if they ever cared before, not even when she's defended them from so many threats. "All I have left is Simba…" whispered Tamina.

A silence fell upon the three meerkats. Ma looked through the foliage and noticed that the moon had come out. She looked back out to the field of grass and noticed the silhouettes of two lions resting. She placed a hand on Tamina's shoulder.

"Go to him…I can tell from afar that he cares about you too. I think that right now, he only has you left as well. He doesn't seem like he has anyone from the pride near your colony to care about him like you do" urged Ma.

"That's not true; many of the lions accept him. And there are many young lionesses that have been taken by him. And not to mention when we finds his real family…"

"Just because they have accepted him doesn't make them his family…And just because he meets his real family doesn't make you any less of his family"

Tamina looked at Ma through watered eyes. She wasn't sure why, she had never cried before, not even as a kit…The last time she had cried was when her mother passed away. Then Max, in a rare act of sympathy reached out to her.

"Listen…I never really approved of my great nephew raising a lion but I somehow always knew that it was fine. Whenever I see them…I don't see prey and predator behaving unnaturally…I see them as a family…One with a bond that cannot be broken. And hearing about your relationship with Simba makes me think that you two are the same" said Max.

Tamina sniffed and rubbed the tears out her eyes. Her earlier expression of sadness vanished to be replaced by her usual confident self. She smiled radiantly at Ma and Max. "Thanks…To both of you…"

She ran off and climbed onto Kopa. The two were talking in the distance. It was difficult to hear the words but by the way Kopa adjusted his position so that Tamina was lying comfortably in the hole made between his forearms told Max and Ma that they were going to be just fine.

-X-

"_What are you waiting for, come on Kopa!" called the lioness cub from on top of the hill._

"_Hey, it's not my fault you pushed me into the water hole and now I'm soaking wet!" said the younger version of Kopa._

"_Yes it is! You have very little balance you know" giggled the lioness._

"_Gee, thanks, appreciate it" said Kopa but he couldn't help smiling._

"_Well hurry up or we're going to miss it!" said the lioness as she bounded off through the trees._

"_Hey wait for me!" said Kopa as he followed after her._

_The two cubs laughed together as they finally reached their destination. They had ended up near a cliff but it wasn't very high. A grown lion could probably jump down and land safely. There waiting for them was a large and mighty lion. His entire being emanated authority but at the same time kindness and compassion for the two cubs._

"_Hey, what took you two so long?" asked the large lion. "And why are you all wet?"_

"_He fell into the water hole" giggled the lioness._

_In the lighting of the moonlight he was able to see their features easily. The lioness cub had a dark shade of fur, she sort of had bangs that hid her eyes at a certain angle, and her eyes were a beautiful blue. The adult lion had a red mane as well as amber eyes; he looked similar to the reflection Kopa saw every day when he looked in the water._

"_So I see" the adult chuckled._

"_So why did you ask us to be here…?" asked Kopa. He felt that there should've been another word. Possibly the lion's name but for some peculiar reason he didn't know what it was. It was the same for the lioness actually, he felt that he had known them since forever but he had no idea what their names were. _

"_I just wanted to teach you both something rather important" said the lion._

"_But if it's another king lesson how come she's here?" asked Kopa._

"_Every cub needs to learn this some time. And since you two are the only ones that don't know yet, I thought that I should tell you both at the same time" explained the lion wisely._

"_Yeah Kopa, you need to listen to your…" said the lioness. Once again a word was missing._

"_Okay, whatever, so what is it? What did you need to tell us?" asked Kopa once again returning his attention to the lion in front of him._

"_Look up into the sky, tell me, what do you see up there?" asked the grown lion gesturing upwards._

"_Other than the sky, I see the moon, clouds, and stars" said Kopa._

"_That's right, but there's also something else up there that you cannot see" said the lion._

"_Air?" said the lioness questioningly._

"_Aside from air…It is said that the Great Kings of the Past are all up there. My father, your…, Mufasa is up there too" said the lion._

"_Really, he's up there, then how come he doesn't talk to us?" asked Kopa._

"_He speaks to us whenever we are lost. Whenever we need guidance of some sort the kings are there for us" explained the lion. "One day I might be up there with him among the stars and I'll be watching over all of you. To make sure that you're all safe and sound"_

"_Does this mean I'll be up there one day too?" asked Kopa._

_The lion gave a light-hearted chuckle. "I am sure of it"_

"_But what about me? I won't become a king, and even if I had royal blood I still wouldn't be king. So what happens to the rest of us? Do we end up there or somewhere different?" asked the lioness worriedly, much more different than her confident self earlier._

"_That is an excellent question. And I'll tell you the answer, not just kings are up there. Animals of all kinds exist up there too. As long as you are a good creature you will be up there" smiled the lion._

"_But yesterday you told me that all animals become the grass after they're gone. So how can they be in the ground and the sky at the same time?" asked Kopa._

"_Simple, our physical beings become the grass; our spiritual ones become the stars" explained the lion._

"_I like the sound of being the stars. It sounds much more appealing than becoming the grass" said the lioness with a smile._

"_Definitely" agreed Kopa._

"_Hey, look fireflies!" exclaimed the lioness as she saw the little lightning bugs flutter about._

"_Wow, their even more beautiful up close" said Kopa._

"_Why don't we head back? It's getting awfully late" suggested the lion._

"_Aw, but we want to stay with the fireflies" whined the lioness._

"_Tell you what, how about tomorrow evening I take you both out to see the fireflies behind Pride Rock. They're the most beautiful you'll ever see" offered the lion._

_Both of the cubs seemed satisfied with that so they followed him to the large protruding rock out in the distance. Although Kopa didn't have a clue on whom these two felines were, he did know the name of the rock. It was so obvious that it came to him at the same time he whispered it in his sleep. _Pride Rock…

-X-

"This should wake him" said a female voice.

The next thing Kopa knew a ton of cold water splashed onto him. "Gah!" he shouted as he jerked awake. He turned and saw Tamina and Hasani looking at him with odd expressions. "W-What was that for?" chattered Kopa.

"You were still sleeping and I was having trouble waking you" said Tamina matter-of-factly.

"We should get going, I'll think we'll make it there just a little bit after midday" said Hasani.

Kopa rubbed the last of sleep from his eyes and glanced up towards the sky. The sun hadn't even risen above the horizon yet but that might've been a good thing, he always loved seeing the sunrise. But this time his mind wasn't thinking about the sun and was thinking about the dream he had last night. He's had similar dreams but it was the first time he remembered so much. One thing was for sure, he was definitely from the Pride Lands. But he had to wonder, who was that lioness and why had she called him Kopa? Strangely enough, the name was oddly familiar. The other question that was nagging on his mind was who was that lion and why did he look so similar to him.

"Come on little ones! We should get going now!" said Ma as she stepped out from under the shade.

Tamina hopped onto Kopa's back and held her hand out for Ma. The older meerkat took it and was lifted onto the young lion's back.

"I hope you don't mind the extra weight buddy" said Tamina patting the side of his head.

"Yeah, no problem" said Kopa absentmindedly.

"Let's go!" said Hasani as he took the lead.

Kopa followed but his mind was only half concentrating on the path ahead. There were just so many questions that he couldn't figure out.

-X-

The sun had finally risen and the dynamic duo of the Pridelands slowly woke up. Timon got up and yawned loudly as he woke up his companion who was asleep next to him.

"Hey Pumbaa, come on, it's morning" said Timon.

"Huh?" said Pumbaa as he raised his head.

"It's time to go" said Timon.

Timon climbed onto the warthog's back and they made their way towards the border between the Pride Lands and the desert. They covered half the distance in silence before Pumbaa spoke up.

"Hey uh Timon, is it really okay to leave the others without saying goodbye?" asked the warthog.

"We said our goodbyes last night…It'll hurt less if we don't see them again" said Timon quietly.

"You talk as if you're never coming back" pointed out a voice from behind them.

The two of them turned around to see Vitani coming towards them. Although the two of them and the lioness were never on the best of terms they were able to tolerate each other.

"Vitani , hey! Didn't notice you there! So…Um…You don't plan on eating us or anything do you?" asked Timon nervously.

"Please there are better options in the Pride Lands than a tiny meerkat and a smelly warthog" scoffed Vitani. "I'm here as an escort. Simba asked me to do it, he wanted to do it himself but he's busy with his kingly duties"

"So he entrusted you to do it?" asked Pumbaa.

"Not really, I volunteered actually" said Vitani sheepishly.

"_You_ volunteered to escort _us_? Is your head on straight?" asked Timon.

"I just figured we'd be able to talk a little" said Vitani.

"Why? You never tried talking to us before"

"Well, I guess I feel a little worried for some reason. Your departure announcement was a bit of a surprise to all of us. And I feel like you left a little bit…sad…"

"Could you clarify that?"

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that you guys left sadly last night and I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to talk about it"

"Oh, well, Timon was telling me about how he had always wanted to be a father and all that talk about Kopa reminded him of that" said Pumbaa without Timon even telling him it was okay to tell her.

"Pumbaa!"

"What I do?"

"Come on, it's not like it's embarrassing, it seems pretty reasonable to me. I'm pretty sure every animal dreams of starting a family of their own one day" said Vitani. This comment seemed to stun Timon for a moment.

"You mean…Even you?" asked the meerkat.

"Sometimes…I may have been trained to hate but I've got a heart too you know!" snapped Vitani.

"Yeah, I know…Sorry I didn't mean to imply anything"

"No I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snap at you. I guess some of Zira's teachings have been drilled into me" said Vitani.

"So part of that lioness' teachings was to get angry at others? Doesn't seem very effective in battle if you ask me" said Timon in hopes of lightening the atmosphere.

To his surprise the lioness laughed lightly. "Thanks Timon, I think I needed that"

"Well, we should get going before we waste the entire day" said Timon. "And you don't have to come with us. We know the way; we don't really need an escort"

"True, but I have to protect you guys too you know. Lions aren't the only predators around here" pointed out Vitani.

"She's got a point there Timon" said Pumbaa.

"I thought we had this system sorted out already…Predators won't get us as long as my buddy Pumbaa is around to stink them away" said Timon happily.

"But there are some that aren't afraid of smell" said Vitani. "For example I'm sure a starving wild dog won't mind taking a bite out of the two of you"

"Well since you put it that way" said Timon before turning and striking a pointing finger in the direction of their destination. "Onwards!"

"I thought you might say that" Vitani chuckled.

"So…You're not going to eat us if we walk on for days in the desert right?" asked Pumbaa.

"Don't worry, I'm used to starvation"

"Oh, sorry about that"

"No worries"

"You mean Hakuna Matata" said Timon.

"If you ever say that again then I will eat you" said Vitani.

"Right…Shutting up now"

-X-

**I hope you guys liked this chapter. Man school is really bothersome but I was finally able to complete it! Whoo, all right! The next chapter is coming soon, hopefully, so be on the lookout. And do not forget to review, if I get only one review or none at all like the last chapter than I'll be putting this story on an indefinite hiatus just because I'm upset. And believe me that won't be fair to my other readers. I'm just joking of course but seriously, some feedback would be greatly appreciated.**


	10. Love of a Father

**Okay let me just say that I live in New York and so as most of you know, a hurricane is coming. And according to the news it's worse than when hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I might die so I'm just leaving this chapter here in my memory. Anyway, I think I sounded way too desperate in my last chapter ending. So let me apologize for my hiatus threat. You all know I didn't mean that right? Plus I just didn't understand how so many people could read and not review. It just bugs me because if you're reading and the story doesn't make you think of something it means the writer has failed somehow. If you're a fellow writer then please back me up on this. Anyway, so far I've gotten three new reviews, two of which are guest reviews from the same person. Anyway, first I'll start with a celeb shout out.**

**To Katy Perry – Happy twenty-eighth birthday Katy! That's right; recently this amazing musician became twenty-eight on October 25, 2012 which coincidentally was the same day I wrote this. I just wanted to say happy birthday, you're an awesome singer, keep up the great work!**

**Next comes my reviewer shout outs.**

**To PrettyGurlSwagg – First let me just say that I like your optimism. And yes I really do want reviews. All writers love reviews. It's what keeps us writing. Second, I agree that many people don't understand Lion King. I can't say I fully understand it myself. This is just my personal interpretation but thank you anyway. Third, they actually have three TLK movies but I guess you mean one that continues the story with Kovu and Kiara and I must say that I can't disagree. Finally, I won't judge your writing skills because I'm also very lazy and sometimes I don't bother with spell check.**

**Now, please wish me luck on surviving hurricane Sandy tomorrow and I hope to be alive so that I can finish this story. That's really it so without further ado…Tales of Two Kings chapter 10!**

-X-

"Slimy!"

"Crunchy!"

"Slimy!"

"Crunchy!"

Vitani rolled her eyes. The small group of three had decided to rest right near the border so that they could fill up before going on for a couple more hours without food. At least for Vitani it would be. For Timon and Pumbaa, they could eat once they had reached the oasis which was a now two-fifths of a day's journey.

Vitani had already finished her breakfast and was now resting on her side. She looked up into the sky and wondered if Kopa was ever there watching her. She knew he wasn't a king but that didn't mean he wasn't up there right? She looked back and Timon and Pumbaa and realized that this argument sounded very familiar. That's right…She lived in the Pridelands once before. Those two babysat Kopa whenever Zazu was busy.

-X-

"_Slimy!"_

"_Crunchy!"_

"_Slimy!"_

"_Crunchy!"_

"_How long are they going to keep this up?" whispered a little Vitani cub._

"_Their longest record was a whole day" replied Kopa._

"_Well, we're not really going to wait here for that long are we?"_

"_Of course not, we'll just sneak away. It's really easy when they're arguing like this. Come on!"_

_Kopa ran off in the opposite direction with Vitani following close behind. Soon enough they were far away from the dynamic duo. _

"_Wow, those two are bigger idiots than I thought! And very bad babysitters" commented Vitani as she stopped by the water hole to get a drink._

"_Hey! Those are my foster grandparents!" started Kopa but then grinned. "And that cannot be more true"_

"_Whew! And here I thought you were going to disagree with me and start some sort of argument" Vitani chuckled._

"_No way, if we were in an argument then you would win. Mostly through threats and violence of course" said Kopa, muttering the last sentence._

"_What was that?"_

"_Oh nothing, just saying this personal mantra to myself"_

"_Have you been hanging out with Rafiki lately?"_

"_No, besides he speaks in riddles, not mantras"_

"_Well what is this personal mantra of yours?"_

_Before Kopa had the chance to make something up from the top of his head he was saved by three other cubs coming towards them. One was a lioness cub and the other two were both males._

"_Hey Kopa, 'Tani, what's going on?" asked a younger version Sierra. (This OC was mentioned in the prologue, if you don't remember her then just refer back to it)_

"_Hey Sierra, Afua, Jua!" greeted Kopa._

_Vitani on the other hand didn't so much as acknowledge any of them. Well, none except Sierra at least. "Hi" she muttered dryly._

"_Hey Kopa, you want to go to Zulu Falls with us?" asked Jua._

_Kopa glanced over at Vitani for a second before returning his attention to the male cub. "Uh, sure I guess. But what about Vitani, can't she come too?"_

_Jua's lips were about to form the word 'No' when Afua batted him slightly over the head. "Of course she can, it'll be more fun with more people" said Afua._

"_But where are Timon and Pumbaa, weren't they supposed to be watching you?" asked Sierra looking around._

"_They were supposed to, but whoever said they were good at it?" scoffed Vitani._

"_Hey they raised the king himself when he was a cub. They deserve a little respect! Especially from one of Scar's brats" said Jua._

"_Who are you calling a brat! And since when have you ever cared about those two? Last I checked you only saw them as lunch! So you shouldn't be telling me who I can and cannot respect!" snapped Vitani._

_Both Vitani and Jua growled at each other. It looked as if they were ready to lunge at each other and the other three were fairly certain that they wouldn't end up play-fighting._

"_Okay you guys really need to calm down. If this keeps up then only three of us will be going" said Afua coming between them._

"_Yeah, we should head to Zulu Falls before you two decide to eat each other" added Sierra._

"_Fine" muttered Jua turning away from Vitani. _

"_I'm not going" said Vitani suddenly._

"_Why, is the little kitty afraid of some water?" smirked Jua._

"_No" scoffed Vitani. "It's just that Zulu Falls is boring. I'd rather go somewhere more exciting. Like exploring the Elephant Graveyard!"_

"_The Elephant Graveyard? Why would you want to go there?" asked Afua incredulously._

"_Duh, to look around. See what's there. Since the hyenas left we should have perfectly safe access to the place" said Vitani._

"_That's sounds stupid" said Jua._

"_I think it sounds kind of fun" said Kopa._

"_You can't be serious" droned Jua._

"_It's true that the hyenas left the place but it still creeps me out with all those elephant skulls" shuddered Sierra._

"_Besides the rest of us are sane. The only reason you want to go is because of that connection to Scar" said Jua._

"_Well if all of you are so sane then why does Kopa want to come?" asked Vitani._

"_He probably only pities you because there's no one else that would hang out with you. And it's obvious why" _

_The next thing Vitani knew she clawed Jua's face and ran off. She had no idea what came over her. All she knew was that she was tired of being compared to Scar. He wasn't even alive when she was born so what connection did she have with him? None, and yet she received scorn from so many. Not just Jua, many of the older lions and even Afua at first. He probably just realized the truth that she was to be pitied and followed Sierra and Kopa. Those two probably weren't even her friends, they were just pretending to be._

_She stopped and found herself at the same spot where Simba had told her and Kopa of the Great Kings of the Past. In the afternoon the sight was so different. The stars were replaced with clouds and the moon with a bright and shining sun._

"_Vitani, what are you doing here?" asked a deep and gentle voice from behind her._

_She turned around to see a large lion with dark brown fur. He had a black mane and blue eyes just like hers. He walked over to her and nuzzled her affectionately._

"_Hi daddy…" said Vitani quietly. "What are you doing here?"_

"_I saw you run up here so I decided to follow. Listen I have something very important to tell you and you have to promise me that you will be strong" said her father._

"_What is it?"_

"_Listen carefully…I'm going to be away for a long, long time. I'm not even sure if I'll ever be back"_

"_What? But you can't just leave! What about me? Or Nuka? Or even mom and the cub inside her?"_

"_Nuka is not my child and your mother doesn't need me anymore"_

"…_What do you mean?"_

_Her father sighed making him seem a lot older than he was. "I wish I could explain to you but I can't. All I can say is that I love you and I don't want you to forget that"_

"_But you can't leave me…No one here even likes me. Only you and mom and that's it! Please don't go!" pleaded Vitani._

"_I'm sorry…And it's not true that no one likes you. Your friends Kopa and Sierra seem to like you very much. And I think the king and queen have taken a liking to you as well" said her father. _

"_No they don't…They probably just pity me because I don't have any real friends" muttered Vitani sadly._

"_That's not true. Now listen, I don't have much time because I have to go very soon. Promise to watch over your new little sibling when he or she is born and never forget who you are…I don't want you to end up like me"_

"_End up like you? What does that mean?"_

"_I've made some mistakes in my past…Mistakes that I can never take back. All I can tell you is that when you love someone…Don't leave them. And you and your friend share a very strong love"_

"_M-Me and Kopa! N-No dad, it's not like that!" blushed Vitani._

"_There are many forms of love my dear" chuckled her father before becoming serious again. "No, I meant love as friends. Now I must be off and I just have one more request…Don't ever tell your younger sibling about me. I don't want him or her to miss someone he'll never meet"_

_Vitani felt tears coming on but like her father had said she had to be strong. She held them back and embraced her father's leg. "I promise dad…And I promise that I'll never forget you either"_

"_I know you won't…Now I must go" said her father giving her one last nuzzle. With that he ran off in a different direction._

_Once he was gone, Vitani turned back to the sky and broke down crying. She broke that dam that held back all her emotions. She didn't stop even when there was a rustle behind her indicating she was no longer alone._

"_Hey, 'Tani, don't cry. I'm sure Jua didn't mean anything" said the recognizable voice of Kopa._

"_That's not why I'm crying" sniffed Vitani turning to see Kopa and Sierra. They appeared to be slightly out of breath and very worried._

"_Well even so you shouldn't let his words get to you. We're your friends, don't you ever forget that" said Sierra._

"_Well what about Afua, he used to treat me badly and now all of a sudden he's trying to be nice to me. Why is that?" asked Vitani._

"_He just felt threatened that you were taking his place as Kopa's best friend. You know before you had the time those two hung out all the time. But Kopa talked to him yesterday and they were able to work it out" said Sierra._

"_So he wasn't being cold to me because of Scar?" sniffed Vitani._

"_Of course not! Afua is not the type of person to judge someone based on others" said Kopa._

_Vitani remained silent as she turned over their information over in her head. The fact that the two of them chased her so far, the fact that they were so worried…Maybe her dad was right, they were her friends and she had to trust them a little more. But the thought of her father reminded her of the reason for her tears._

"_Thanks but…I'd rather be alone right now" said Vitani._

"_Is this about whatever you're crying about? You can tell us you know" said Kopa._

"_My dad was just here and he told me that he had to leave. He's gone and I might never see him again!" cried Vitani._

"_Why did your dad leave?" asked Kopa gently, he seated himself on one side of his best friend._

"_I don't know…He told me that he couldn't tell me" muttered Vitani._

"_Well can't you stop him?" asked Sierra seating herself on her other side._

_Vitani shook her head sadly. Suddenly she felt a little of her sadness vanish as Kopa gave her small nuzzle. Sierra laid her head down on Vitani's shoulder comfortingly. Soemhow the two of them were giving her some strength just by sitting by her._

"_Thanks to both of you…" said Vitani._

"_Hey that's what friends are for. We're there for each other no matter what" said Kopa._

"_Right and we promise that the three of us will stick together no matter what!" added Sierra._

_Vitani smiled at the thought of being with her friends forever. At the time it was a pleasant dream, now it was just a unreachable fantasy. But at least two of them were able to find themselves back to each other._

"_Then let's make a pact. We'll always be friends forever, no matter what" smiled Vitani placing her paw in front of her._

_The other two did the same so that their paws were all aligned. Together they said "We promise to always be friends". Once they lifted their paws, they noticed that they had made three paw prints at the very spot they made the promise. Vitani smiled…It was a symbol of their friendship and it will always be there._

-X-

Vitani pressed her paw into the ground in front of her. It left an indentation but nothing more. It had no meaning unlike the ones she and her friends left on that cliff. She wondered if they were still there. She turned her head back to the direction of Pride Rock. She could just barely make out the silhouette of the great rock.

She knew Afua and Jua were still there. She's seen them around although it was slightly difficult to recognize them with their manes. They, like many other male lions chose to stay with their pride although they lived in separate dens. Afua has been rather nice to her; Jua on the other paw still bears the claw marks she left him. So each time they passed each other he would give off a low growl. The reason why they weren't there the night of the battle between the Pridelanders and Outsiders took place was because they were visiting another pride at the time.

Strange, why were these memories resurfacing now? She had suppressed so many of her memories of Kopa that she had forgotten so much, including her own father…That's when she was reminded of the real reason why she volunteered to go with Timon and Pumbaa. It wasn't so she could talk to them, she just wanted an excuse to get away from the Pride Lands. There were just too many painful memories there.

"Hey Vitani!" shouted Timon taking her attention from Pride Rock.

"What's wrong? You don't look so good" pointed out Pumbaa.

"Nothing, I was just thinking" said Vitani looking down.

"Is it about Kopa?" asked Timon.

"That's part of it" muttered Vitani.

"Well what's the other part?" asked Pumbaa.

"Did you two ever know my dad?" asked Vitani hesitantly.

Both Timon and Pumbaa looked at each other. Both of them were genuinely taken by surprise.

"Sort of…We were at the oasis for lots of that time but we got to know him a little" said Timon as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"What was he like? I can barely remember him" said Vitani. _'Even though I promised that I would never forget him…'_

Timon and Pumbaa glanced at each other once more. Timon just shrugged so Pumbaa decided to speak.

"Where should I start…Well let me just say that your dad wasn't the nicest animal out there, at least not at first. When we first met him he saw us as food and would've jumped at the chance to eat us" started Pumbaa.

"Meaning if he ever caught us alone then he would've chomped down on us" said Timon.

"That doesn't sound like him" said Vitani defensively.

"You didn't let us finish. Your dad wasn't the nicest and one day he did try to eat us. But Simba was able to save us right before he could. After that Simba had a very long talk with him in the den. Your dad was not happy when he came out but he never did try to eat us again" said Pumbaa.

"We never saw much of him until the day we heard Zira was about to give birth to you. We saw him nervously pacing back and forth outside the den with your older brother. Simba and Kopa was there also. Although Kopa was only a couple of days old at the time" said Timon.

"Kopa's presentation day was the day right after you were born actually" added Pumbaa.

"We saw that he was nervous and whatever Simba was saying to him was putting him at ease. Pumbaa and I decided to try talking to him ourselves" said Timon.

"It was true, we had no idea what it was like waiting for your mate to give birth but we knew what it was like to be a parent. We also knew what it was like to feel worried but then realize it was all worth it" smiled Pumbaa.

"From that day forward he was a lot nicer. And whenever he had you around with him he was always smiling. He went from someone cold and distant to warm, fatherly, and loving" finished Timon.

"I feel a lot better hearing that but I have one more question I have to ask about him" said Vitani. Both of the prey animals watched her intently as they waited patiently for her to ask the question she had in mind. "What happened to him?"

"…He wasn't banished or anything…All we know is that a week before Kovu was born he was gone. He left without uttering a word to either of us. Simba asked Zira if she knew anything about it but all she told him was that he was a filthy, disgusting vermin and she never wanted to see him again" said Timon quietly but still loud enough for Vitani to hear.

Vitani looked down so that her bangs covered her eyes. "…What was his name?"

"…His name was Neo…"

-X-

**I know it's rather weird that I just ended a chapter with a name but you know, whatever. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter and I hope to get the next chapter up soon. Also I hope I won't die. Wish me luck on my very first natural disaster. (I was on vacation in France last year when hurricane Irene struck) Please leave a review and I will hopefully see you again next time. **

**But I do want to clear up a few things before I go. First, I'm not using actual lion facts in this story. Males are allowed to live in the pride if they want to. They don't have to leave and make their own pride but they must live in separate dens. Second, there are soul mates, no one king gets many wives. By the way this applies to every pride in this story not just the Pride Lands. Third, the aging process I'm using is not the real one but it's not the human aging process either. It's more like a lion's regular life span only doubled. The only thing in this story that's true about lions is the amount of time a lioness is pregnant which is approximately one hundred and ten days. That's it, until next time!**


	11. When Memories Return

**Hey everyone it's me. Sorry I was unable to get back online sooner but my internet was knocked out. But I have to thank all of you for the support. So my first hurricane experience was horrific. I had a black out (For the first two or three days) and my entire family had to resort to using alternative light sources. The first night with the storm was okay, the second, not so much. That was during the peak of the storm and I went to bed at like nine. By ten I came out hearing my maternal grandfather and saw that a window was knocked right out. Literally the curtains were flying out the glass that was supposed to be there. I went downstairs to get duct tape and the rest of my (Paternal grandparents, aunt, uncle, baby cousin, and little sister) family was down there. Apparently it had flooded down the street; you couldn't even walk down there without getting your feet soaked! The whole night was just insane! I had the whole week off from school but my internet was down for all that time (Except Friday)! Sucks right? And to make it worse, the cable was out too so I had no television time. That's it for my terrifying experience, now for my reviewer shout outs. **

**To Asante – Thanks so much for reading my story! And I'm glad you thought it was funny because comedy wasn't exactly my goal but it still feels good to hear that from someone.**

**To SNOWYleopardess – You're definitely right that I should calm down. But according to my sister I have a tendency to overreact. And in my case, go into a mass hysteria during my first natural disaster.**

**To lew leon – I actually wasn't thinking about making a back story to find out what fueled Zira's source of evil. But now that you mention it, it sounds like a good idea. Thanks and I'll be sure to make a small part dedicated to talking about the birth of evil Zira. **

**Again I'm sorry it took so long for me to update. But don't blame me; blame the weather at my location. I was at least able to type during this time but I neglected to do so at first so I wasn't able to get online as soon as expected. Oh, and I noticed that in Kopa's dream I accidentally mentioned Simba's name. Pretend I didn't for our sakes and purposes. Now I've held you up long enough.**

-X-

"There it is!" exclaimed Ma suddenly.

"All I see is more wasteland…This cannot be the lush grassy place that Kamaria told us about" said Tamina.

"No actually she's right. See just little bit further there's some hints of grass. We've reached the border!" cheered Hasani.

"What about this barren wasteland? How is this part of the Eastern kingdom?" asked Kopa.

"These are the Outlands. The only area that has never recovered from Scar's reign" said Ma.

"Scar" whispered Kopa. The name sent this cold feeling down his spine. For some reason he didn't like the sound of it and hoped to never hear of it again. But looking at the Outlands and hearing the name Scar seemed to trigger something within the young lion.

-X-

"_Hey…What's that darkened area over there? I don't see any grass. Is that part of our kingdom?" asked a young Kopa. He was pointing at a barren wasteland that could be seen from his viewpoint. _

_The same lion that had appeared in his dream was there beside him. He followed the cub's gaze to the wasteland and frowned at some memory. "That's a place that you shouldn't ever go. It's the only area in the Pride Lands that hasn't been recovered from Scar's reign. And I don't think it ever will" explained the lion._

"_Oh…Well why can't I go there?" asked Kopa looking up at the large lion._

"_Many rogues travel around there so it's best that the place be avoided" explained the lion vaguely._

_Just then a blue bird landed in front of the two of them. Somewhere in Kopa's mind he knew that this bird was not food. _

"_What is it Zazu?" asked the lion._

"_I'm afraid the monkeys are up to their old tricks again. There have been a number of complaints coming from the hippos, rhinos, and even the elephants" said the blue bird who was now classified as Zazu._

"_Tell them I'll be right there. I'm sorry Kopa but I have to go" said the lion turning away from the bird taking off towards the cub._

"_Aw, but you said you'd play with me today" whined Kopa._

"_I'm sorry but you know the kingdom comes-"_

"_-before fun, I know" _

"_Very funny…I promise I'll play with you tomorrow" said the lion bringing Kopa into an embrace before running off in hot pursuit of Zazu._

_Kopa sighed sadly and turned back towards the den. He slowly walked back inside and laid down next to a full grown lioness. She was sleeping at the moment and although the polite thing to do would've been to let her sleep, he sighed very loudly anyway, causing her to awaken._

"_Kopa? What's wrong, I thought your…was going to play with you today" said the lioness. She had pretty blue eyes which was a rare eye color among lions. Although the lioness cub from his dream had the same eye color, maybe a deeper shade but it was close. Was this that cub's mother?_

"_He was but he had to bail. You know with his duties and all that" said Kopa._

"_You know you're going to have to take over those duties one day" said the lioness._

"_I know and I can't wait for that day but I don't want to neglect my own cub's feelings for the kingdom" said Kopa._

"_Oh, thinking about cubs already are you?" teased the lioness._

"…_! No, I didn't mean it like that!" said Kopa. Once again there was a word missing, most likely the name of this unknown lioness._

"_I know, I was only teasing you"_

"_Well since…was unable to, will you play with me?" _

"_Hm, I do have a day off from hunting today…But I'm really tired so I have a better idea"_

"_A better idea?"_

"_I think it's time I introduce you to the other cubs here. This way you can have other playmates"_

"_The other cubs?"_

_The lioness nodded. "That's right; there are four others and one that's reaching adolescence. There are some others too but their all too young to play with"_

"_Okay! That sounds like fun! I've always wanted to know other cubs my age!" said Kopa excitedly._

"_I thought you might" the lioness laughed lightheartedly. _

-X-

"Yo, Simba!" called Tamina.

Kopa snapped out of his trance and noticed three pairs of eyes staring at him. "Oh sorry, I just dozed off for a moment there"

"Yeah, I noticed" said Tamina "So what's on your mind?"

"I'm not exactly sure myself. But one thing I do know for sure is that I'm definitely from here" said Kopa.

Tamina blinked in surprise but immediately covered it up with a smiling facade. "Well that's fantastic Simba!"

"Kopa"

"Huh?"

"Oh sorry Tammy but…I don't think Simba's my real name. It definitely sounds familiar and that might be because it's the king of these land's name but I don't want to be called that anymore. I think my name is Kopa. Plus it might be better since it might be confusing and awkward if you called 'Simba' and both me and the king answered" said Kopa.

"Kopa, I guess that could work" said Tamina but for some reason she seemed unsure of herself. The fact that he remembered his real name and didn't want to be called Simba anymore heightened the possibility of him staying here. It meant leaving their old home for this new one and she wasn't sure she could accept that.

While all of this new information was being processed through Tamina's mind, Ma and Hasani had other thoughts.

'_Kopa…It couldn't be him could it?' _wondered Ma. Come to think of it, there were a lot of similarities when it comes to appearance between Kopa and Simba. But to think he was still alive after all these years was surprising to her. It was just so hard to believe.

'_Kopa, to think the king's son was still alive…'_ thought Hasani. He was just as surprised as Ma although maybe a little less. He had his suspicions at first but didn't want to say anything. Any lion that was close to a king from one of the four great kingdoms knew how Simba looked liked. And they also knew that his son was supposedly dead. Knowing the king of the Northern kingdom helped Hasani learn all this. He knew that the Pride Lands would rejoice in celebration when they found out.

"Why do all of you have such strange looks?" asked Kopa curiously.

"Nothing…Let's just keep going" muttered Tamina.

Kopa raised an eyebrow out of curiosity but decided not to press further. The small group continued their trek through the barren wasteland in silence.

-X-

"_Neo, are you awake?" asked a gentle voice from outside the den. It was one of the many dens that was separated from Pride Rock._

_The old lion wearily walked out of the den and yawned. He looked over at the beautiful young lioness and the even younger cub next to her. "Queen Nala and young prince Kopa, what brings you to my humble home?"_

"_I was hoping Kopa could meet Vitani. I went to Zira but she told me that she was with you" answered Nala._

"_Really? That's odd, I've been asleep until you awoke me" said Neo but he turned around just in time to see a lioness cub pounce on him. She landed on his head and struggled to hang on but she was still laughing anyway._

_Neo chuckled along as he knelt down and let Vitani off him. "Very funny my little 'Tani"_

"_Dad…I'm not that little anymore" laughed the young lioness. She was completely oblivious to the cub watching her from behind his mother._

"_Oh I know…you're almost six months old now" Neo chuckled sarcastically._

"_Yup!"_

"_Alright, that's enough for now. Look who came to see you"_

_Vitani turned to the queen and prince and bowed to them. "Good morning Queen Nala and Prince Kopa" she bowed formally._

"_Good morning to you Vitani" smiled Nala. "And you already know my son Kopa but I wanted you to meet him in person"_

"_Hi, I'm Kopa, you must be 'Tani!" greeted Kopa cheerfully._

"_It's Vitani. Only my dad calls me 'Tani, and sometimes my brother Nuka" said Vitani._

"_Doesn't Nuka mean…" started Kopa._

"_Smelly? Yes, yes it does. And to be honest it fits him perfectly" giggled Vitani._

"_Vitani!" chided Neo._

"_What? It's true you know. I don't think mother bathes him properly. He smells like that warthog that comes by sometimes" said Vitani._

"_You mean Pumbaa?" clarified Kopa._

"_You see! Bad names are very common!" said Vitani._

"_I see" Neo chuckled. "But don't go around calling your brother 'Smelly'. Now why don't you go play with the prince? I'm sure the two of you will get along very well" _

"_But I wanted to play with you" complained Vitani._

"_I'm sorry 'Tani but I'm way too tired right now. But trust me when I say you won't find a better playmate than Kopa" said Neo as he gave her an affectionate nuzzle. "I promise I'll play with you tomorrow"_

"_Okay…"_

_Neo went back into the den with a yawn and Nala left the two of them near the waterhole while she went to get the other cubs that she had spoken of. Vitani expected it to be silent between them but clearly Kopa had different plans._

"_Wow, we seem to have a lot in common" said Kopa after his mother was out of their view._

"_What do you mean?" asked Vitani._

"_Well, we both wanted to play with our dads today but they both can't and they both promised to play with us tomorrow" explained Kopa. _

"_Yeah but your dad has a reason to not play. Mine is just tired…Sometimes I wonder if he really likes being around me" said Vitani sadly._

"_Don't say that about your dad! I know him a little because sometimes when Timon and Pumbaa can't watch over me he does. Whenever we're together he's always talking about you and how he wants to play with you"_

"_Well why doesn't he?" _

"_He says it has something to do with your mom"_

"_Oh yeah…She does have this strange tendency to keep me away from others. And she's been teaching me how to hunt too"_

"_To hunt? But you're not even six months old. Why is she teaching you to hunt now?" _

"_She says it'll be a useful skill for something in the future"_

"_Oh…Okay then"_

_The two cubs were silent after that. Neither knew what to say so Kopa decided to break the silence once more._

"_But you do know your dad loves you very much right?" asked Kopa._

"…_Yeah…I do now…Thanks Kopa" smiled Vitani._

"_No problem!" said Kopa and that's when it seemed as if he was looking at her for the first time. He was staring at her face and it was making her feel a little bit uncomfortable._

"_Is there something on my face or something?" asked Vitani._

"_No it's just that…You've got blue eyes like your dad" commented Kopa._

"_So?"_

"_It's very rare and I sometimes I wish I had inherited that eye color from my mom. I think they're very pretty and they suit you well"_

"_You do? Huh, one of the other cubs said that it was a stupid color"_

"_Well then he's a stupid cub"_

_Vitani smiled and laughed. "I'm just glad you're a smart cub then"_

"_Thanks, you're pretty smart yourself"_

_Before anything else happened a sharp voice called out to them or more specifically, Vitani. "Vitani!"_

_Vitani winced and turned around to see a lioness in the distance along with another cub nearing adolescence. She definitely did not seem like a friendly animal and the cub certainly did not seem the like the brightest._

"_Hi mom…" she said shyly._

"_What are you doing here and with the prince of these lands?" asked Zira with a cold smile._

_Kopa felt like hiding but instead he pretended to be brave and stood up straight. The cub next to Zira had a smug look when he saw Kopa. Clearly the prince had failed at trying not to look afraid of the lioness._

"_I'm Kopa! Nice to meet you Vitani's mom!" said Kopa trying to be as cheerful as he had when greeting Vitani._

"_Oh yes, very nice to meet you. It's always an honor being in the presence of a relative of the king" said Zira with false sincerity. "Vitani, it's time to go"_

"_But mom, I was going to play with Kopa today" complained Vitani._

"_Don't talk back at me child! How many times must I tell you that!" snapped Zira._

_Vitani cringed and turned to Kopa. "Sorry, I have to go. But I promise to play with you some other time"_

"_It's all right Vitani" said Kopa._

_Vitani paused but then looked at him once more. "Call me 'Tani"_

_With that Vitani slowly followed Zira and the other cub back towards the direction of Neo's den. When they had finally reached it, Zira turned to her cubs._

"_Nuka, Vitani, it's time for the two of you to go back to the main den. I'll meet you later. First I must have a little chat with your father" ordered Zira coldly as she walked into the den._

_Vitani was going to obey her mother's orders when Nuka pulled her behind a couple of bushes that were growing near the mouth of the cave. It was close enough for them to hear their parents._

"_Nuka, what are you doing?" grunted Vitani as she pulled herself out of her brother's grip._

_Instead of answering her Nuka shushed her. "Don't you want to hear what mom and dad are going to be talking about?" he asked._

_Now that Vitani thought about it, she was curious so she listened carefully hidden in the foliage without making a sound._

"_Is something wrong Zira?" asked Neo from inside the cave._

"_You were supposed to be watching Vitani! Why did you let her go off on her own!" shouted Zira._

"_She wasn't on her own. She was with the queen and the prince"_

"_Don't make excuses! It's your duty as a father to be watching over her! If Scar were here he'd-"_

"_He'd what? Last I checked you needed me to get you a proper heir to the throne. And what did Scar want, a lion to follow in his footsteps but he doesn't treat his own children properly. He neglected his own son!"_

_Vitani noticed Nuka tense at hearing Scar's name._

"_Who told you that I only wanted you for an heir? Scar's gone; the heir to the throne is Kopa. So why do you doubt that my feelings toward you were false?" asked Zira in a voice that was laced in honey._

"_I don't doubt it, I know that they were false! I should have never left Zuri for you. I was a fool but I see clearly now" growled Neo._

_Zira gave a sinister cackle. "Fine, you can run back to her for all I care! Fools should be together after all!"_

"_I won't leave Vitani"_

_There was a short pause before Zira continued. "I won't let you take her away. She is needed here. So I'll give you two options. One, you can stay loyal to me and do as I say. Or two, a week before my cub is born you will leave. If not then you can forget about living to see the morning light"_

"_What if I refuse either of the options and choose to live here? And what if I tell Simba what you plan on doing?" asked Neo._

"_You won't do such a thing as long as you care about Vitani"_

_Another pause but this time Neo continued the conversation. "I will take the second choice. Vitani matters too much to me for her to see me become like you" growled Neo._

_Vitani could almost see Zira's victorious smirk. Any lion hearing this story would ask why Neo didn't fight back. The truth was, was that Neo didn't have the heart to kill a mother. He just couldn't become a murderer._

-X-

"Wow, that's quite the story" commented Timon from his vantage point on top of Pumbaa.

"I always knew Neo was a strong lion but to think he left because of that. It's just so sad and he was a very good father" sniffed Pumbaa.

"He was wasn't he? I remembered all that after you guys told me his name" said Vitani.

The three of them were already walking in the direction of the Oasis. During this time Vitani was telling them the reason for her father's departure. She had somehow forgotten the reason all those years ago. She had chosen to suppress the memories of her father just as she had with Kopa. But now those memories were back. And she would cherish them until the end of time.

-X-

**Sorry it took so long but some new chapters were added to these stories I've been reading so I had to catch up. But now I am officially back! I hope none of you are still around to continue reading this story. I hoped you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it. Don't forget to leave a review and I'll see you all next time! **


	12. Homecoming

**It's about time I get started on the newest chapter of my most popular story. I know it may seem sad since this is also my newest story and I have four others but to be fair the couples in Lion King are more liked and clear by fans while the couples in anime shows can be liked by various people so it's hard to make a story that appeals to everyone. Using a Disney movie has made that so much easier! Anyway, I hope you guys will enjoy this and don't forget to review. But first my reviewer shout outs of course.**

**To Lila the Lioness – I know you gave me your review two chapters ago but guest reviews are always given to me later than others so I had no idea what it said and I deleted the e-mail that had your review on it (Reviews are sent to my e-mail). Anyway, I thank you for the support you gave me. And I just wanted to say I'm sorry but Vitani and Kopa's reunion won't be as heartfelt and touching as you might think. But please don't hate me because of that I just wanted to do something a little different.**

**To LITTLETIGER – Was your caps lock button stuck? Anyway I just wanted to say yes; of course they will have a happy ending. If they didn't then I would hate myself.**

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter so get on to reading the real stuff already! **

-X-

"Ugh, what is that awful stench?" said Hasani with his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"What stench?" asked Tamina.

"I think only a predator's sense of smell can detect it. But it doesn't smell awful…" Kopa sniffed the air. "Actually it kind of seems familiar to me"

"Wait a minute…An awful stench…Recognizable to a lion from the Pride Lands…It must be Pumbaa!" said Ma.

"Ma?" cried out an awfully familiar voice that could only belong to the infamous Timon.

About a few yards away they could just make out the silhouettes of a lioness and a warthog. As well as a small creature on top of the warthog, this was most likely a meerkat.

"Oh, Timmy!" said Ma as she hopped off of Kopa. She kept on running at a speed that could put a cheetah to shame. Soon she had closed the distance between herself and the silhouettes. She jumped onto the warthog and pulled the meerkat into a tight embrace.

"Gah…Ma…Choking…Not breathing" choked out Timon.

"Oh, sorry…It's just been so long since I've seen you" said Ma through her tears of pure joy.

"It's fine…" muttered Timon as she released her grip on him.

"Good to see you Ma!" greeted Pumbaa.

"Aw, and there's my favorite little warthog. Thank you so much for looking after my little Timmy" said Ma.

"Ma, I ain't that little anymore" complained Timon. "But it is good to see you"

"Timmy?" snorted Vitani.

"And who's this lovely lioness?" asked Ma.

"I know lionesses may all look the same to you but trust me, I'm not lovely" said Vitani. "Hi, I'm Vitani, you must be Timon's mother. Timmy's been telling me all about you for the last half mile or so"

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Vitani"

Just then the rest of Ma's group reached them. Vitani narrowed her eyes at the two unfamiliar lions. Not because of automatic distrust, it was more like natural instinct to intimidate any possible foes.

"I see someone here isn't happy to see a couple of strangers" commented Hasani.

Kopa however appeared to be oblivious to the unfriendly glare he was given by the lioness. Instead he was looking at her with an expression that was in between surprise and curiosity. Vitani in return was oblivious to Kopa's gaze; instead she was more focused on his scars.

Kopa blinked twice to make sure his vision was right. He was almost positive this was the same lioness from his dream. The bangs were one thing but the rare blue eyes was what really caught his attention. The only thing different about this lioness from the one in his dream was the fact that the one in his dream was smiling, this one was frowning.

"Who are you and what business do you have with the Pridelands?" asked Vitani with authority.

"Oh, its fine, they're friendly. They escorted me here" said Ma.

"That may be but I still have to ask. I can't just let anyone here. It's my duty as a Pridelander to protect these lands and I plan on doing just that" said Vitani.

Hasani raised an eyebrow but didn't question the system. "My name is Hasani. I am from the Northern kingdom, otherwise known as the Lushlands. I am only a sightseer, here to see the magnificent lands known as the Eastern kingdom. If I am to be doubted then you may ask your king to send his majordomo, Zazu, to King Kanu of the Northern kingdom. He will vouch for me"

Kopa's expression registered another flash of surprise at hearing the name Zazu. It was that bird from his flashback.

"Alright, I believe you. What about you two? I don't believe that the meerkat is from the same colony as your traveling partner. And I've never seen a lion with such scars" said Vitani turning her attention to the Tamina and Kopa.

"Okay…I'm Tamina, I am a meerkat from the colony that resides near the Western kingdom, also known as the Coastlands. I am also known as their great protector. Like Hasani you may send your majordomo to King Malka if you doubt me. My reasons for coming onto the Pride Lands are solely for my traveling partner here" said Tamina indifferently.

"Then I must hear your partner's story" said Vitani. She turned her attention solely on Kopa and her eyes widened momentarily upon seeing his face. His face was undeniably Kopa's but it just wasn't possible. She took a deep breath before speaking. "What is your name?"

Vitani felt her heart beat faster and faster. It was as if time was frozen and she was just standing there, awaiting his answer. "My name is Kopa" Vitani's heart leapt. "At least I'm sure it is. I lost my memory at a young age so I don't know for sure. But recently I've been having dreams and short flashbacks that tell me that I am Kopa. And it is my belief that this was my homeland. Tamina was the one who raised me so she has every right to be here with me" explained Kopa.

Both Timon and Pumbaa were shocked by this revelation. Although not as much as Vitani. "You said you had lost your memory at a young age. How long ago was that?" asked Vitani.

"I'm not good with telling time but I was around nine and a half months old at the time. According to Tamina I had fallen from a cliff and she found me in an injured and damaged state" said Kopa.

"Do you remember how you received those scars?" asked Vitani.

"…It is a possibility that I was attacked by another lion…" admitted Kopa.

The small group remained silent for a long time before Vitani spoke up. "Yes…You are from the pride here but…I'm afraid I can't tell you more because if we are not certain of who you are then…"

"I understand…I don't want whoever that has a son named Kopa to feel sad again if it turns out that I'm not him. So if it helps I will stay anonymous for the time being" said Kopa.

'_He's matured so much…'_ "Alright, I will lead you back to Pride Rock but you must allow me to speak to the king about your arrival. I don't want you speaking to him until I have" said Vitani after regaining her composure. She turned and began to lead them back to Pride Rock.

"What about our plans to go back to the oasis?" asked Pumbaa.

"Those plans have been cancelled buddy" said Timon.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right" nodded Pumbaa.

"Hey Vitani, are you sure about this? If this guy isn't Kopa and just some impostor then we would be in big trouble wouldn't we?" asked Timon in a hushed voice.

Vitani remained silent as if she was incapable of answering. "Vitani?" called Pumbaa.

Her head shot up and looked behind her. She looked at Kopa's face for a second before returning her gaze on Timon and Pumbaa. "I can never forget the face of the one I love. And I will never leave him either…" she answered

-X-

"You're definitely improving Kiara but are you sure you should be running at that pace while you're with baby?" asked Sierra.

The hunting party had just caught two zebras and an antelope for the pride. Since the two warring prides had merged they had to hunt a little more than usual in order to feed the extra mouths, but not enough to eradicate the population. Now Nala and a couple of other lionesses were hauling back the kill. Kiara, Sierra, and one of the older lionesses, Mateka, were ahead of them.

"I'm only a couple days pregnant Sierra. Not enough to render me unable to hunt" laughed Kiara.

"You have the same spirit as your mother. I remember when she was pregnant with you and still she didn't just stand by and watch us do the hunting. She would always jump in to assist us in some way" Mateka chuckled.

"It's too bad Vitani's going to be gone for a little while. She's our best huntress" Sierra remarked.

"Well we just have to do better in order to make up for it. And when she comes back she will most likely be hungry so let's greet her with a big meal!" said Kiara cheerfully.

Just then Kovu ran over to them. He appeared to be out of breath and it was clear he had run all the way from Pride Rock. "Kiara!"

"It's okay for me to be hunting Kovu. I'm not that pregnant" Kiara sighed.

No, it's Vitani. She's coming back and so is Timon and Pumbaa" said Kovu.

"What? But they just left this morning, why are they back?" asked Kiara.

"Simba and I saw her with two unfamiliar lions. We're presuming she's back because of them. He wants everyone back at Pride Rock just in case they're hostile" said Kovu.

"I'll go and tell the other hunters. You guys go on ahead" said Mateka.

With that Mateka turned and rushed back to meet Nala and the rest of the hunting party. The three younger lions all raced back to Pride Rock. Most likely the lionesses wouldn't just leave the kill so they'd still be hauling it back. But they'd probably send back a few of them just to be safe. Their presumptions were correct when they were soon joined by three others, the queen included. The other two were Kiara's cub hood friends, Kula and Tama.

The five of them reached Pride Rock in a short amount of time despite the distance in between the mighty rock and the hunting grounds. They stood near Simba who kept his eyes on the silhouettes coming closer to Pride Rock. Near the entrance of the den sat two male lions. One had a concerned expression while the other remained indifferent and bore three claw marks on his cheek. The prior was Afua and the latter was Jua. Zazu landed on Simba's shoulder and gave a grunt of distrust towards the unknown lions in the distance.

When they were a couple of yards away they could all make out the animals down below. Vitani, Timon, and Pumbaa were all part of this group of course. There was also Ma and another meerkat as well as the two unfamiliar lions like Kovu had mentioned. They were all shocked to see the horrific state of the younger of the two males. The scars that were all over his body was not a very common nor pleasant sight.

From here Vitani and the group stopped. She turned to the strangers and spoke to them. After that she ran up to Pride Rock alone. She reached the top and bowed to the royal family.

"Your majesties…There is something of the utmost urgency that I must speak to you about" said Vitani. "And I believe it best that we speak in private"

"I guess the ex-Outsider still distrusts us" Jua sneered.

"Jua, you will not disrespect Vitani's decisions. If she says it is urgent then we should do as she wants" said Simba.

"Thank you, your highness" bowed Vitani.

Jua narrowed his eyes on her as Afua led him inside the den. Kula and Tama followed soon after. Sierra walked in as well but not before giving Vitani a concerned expression.

"You may continue Vitani" said Nala.

"I know this may sound crazy but just hear me out" started Vitani. With that she explained everything that had happened after meeting up with Ma, Tamina, Kopa, and Hasani. When she told them of Kopa's identity the royal family all showed signs of surprise, disbelief, and shock.

"Vitani if this is some sort of joke then it isn't funny" said Simba sternly as he shook his head.

"It's not a joke sire, you and Nala go down there and tell me he isn't Kopa" said Vitani.

Nala ran to the edge of Pride Rock and squinted at the dark figures. Even from afar she could make out the scarred lion's face. She gasped in shock. "She's telling the truth! That's Kopa, it has to be!"

"But that's not possible. No cub could've fallen off that high of a cliff and survive" said Simba angrily. Instead of relief, which would've been the expected reaction, he was angry for some unknown reason.

"Father why are you so angry? If it's true that Kopa's down there then you should be happy" said Kiara.

"You don't understand…You weren't there when it happened…He just can't be…" Simba closed his eyes tight. Tears were escaping and it looked like he could break down at any second.

"Your majesty…I understand how you are feeling. After years of telling yourself that your son would never return…Your just denying the possibility that he is standing down there right at this moment" said Vitani.

Simba reopened his eyes and he stared at Vitani. It was then he noticed her pained expression. She was doing everything n her power not to cry. Not to believe what she has already seen. She was conflicted believing Kopa was gone and to find he was alive…It just felt unreal. And the fact that he hasn't returned until now strikes an anger chord but she and Simba both knew that he was not to blame.

"Yes, you are right Vitani, but how can we be sure that he is truly Kopa?" asked Simba.

"A mother never forgets her cub's face" said Nala.

"But there still exists the possibility that you're wrong" pointed out Zazu.

"That's why I think it is best not to tell him who he really is yet" said Vitani.

"What? But he can't just go around not knowing that he's the prince of the Pride Lands" said Kovu.

"I know but I think it'll only complicate things right now. Kopa is the prince, which we know is true, so that would mean revoking Kovu of his rights to be next in line for the title of king. But we don't know if he is truly Kopa and we also don't know if he is ready to be king. So we don't tell him his true identity and we just see what he remembers from being here. If he isn't Kopa then the only way to prove that is by seeing if his memories are Kopa's. Kopa's memories are his own. And with this we can test his patience and see what he is capable of, and that's how we learn what kind of king he could be" explained Vitani.

"But what do we say to him? What if he just goes back to the Western kingdom?" asked Kiara.

"We just need to tell him that it's a way of seeing what he remembers. And that when we see what he remembers will determine if he can meet his real parents" said Vitani.

"I'm not so sure about this" said Nala.

"We have to give it a try" said Simba. "What about the rest of you? What do you think?"

"I don't approve of it but I don't want to try to love my own brother if it turns out it's not really him" said Kiara.

"I'll go along with it as well. But something tells me that it won't turn out well" said Kovu.

"…Fine…But we have to tell the others that know who Kopa is about this plan or else they might recognize him" said Nala reluctantly.

"Then I'll go tell the rest of the hunting party" said Zazu and took off.

"And I'll tell Sierra and the others in the den" said Vitani.

"Then it's settled. We won't tell Kopa who we are…" Simba took a deep breath before turning towards the direction of his son. Kopa was completely in the dark to what they were conversing about. "Alright then…It's time to welcome my son back home"

-X-

**Huh, that was a much shorter chapter than usual. Well that explains the speedy update at least. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this and I apologize to those of you who want Kopa to know the full truth already but this has to be done for my story to work. Don't worry, he'll remember everything soon, I hope. Don't forget to leave a review and also do not forget to not hate me because this story has to work this way. Next chapter will be posted soon…Or later…But definitely not never. **


	13. Family Ties

**My school was used as a shelter during hurricane Sandy so I have Monday off! But my grandmother insisted that school was open so I wasted two hours of my time on Monday getting to school and coming back. But this gives me a chance to write a little more. So I just want to thank all my readers for you know, reading. I'm happy to see so many people dedicated to reading my stories that I just want to offer some other Lion King stories for you to read.**

**Incarnate Firefly – This particular writer is writing a five book series about Kopa's return. He is definitely an inspirational writer and knows exactly what he's writing about. Kopa who has suffered through classic amnesia meets a lion who considers himself an outcast. It is just full of family drama and chaotic but sinister plans. They are called**_** Kopa's Legacy**_** and currently he is writing the second book in the series. **

**Bookworm Gal – The best writer I have ever seen. Truly amazing and I love her writing style. Most of you have probably seen it but she has written one story about the Lion King and it's a real hit. It's called **_**When Did I Become a Parent? **_**And it stars our favorite little meerkat, Timon. Check out Timon's journey from unnatural meerkat to loving parent.**

**Also to Littletiger – I actually learned about Mheetu around the same time I first started reading stories about Kopa. According to various sources, Mheetu is Nala's younger brother. I think he's her half-brother, I can't be sure. In many stories where Kopa still lives, Mheetu is the one who raises him. So maybe I'll add Mheetu in a later story. He won't be in this one that's for sure. I'm planning on turning this into a series so hopefully he'll be seen in the sequel or the third story. **

**Those are my two top Lion King writers and an answer to a reviewer's question. Hope you guys check the stories out, they're in my favorites so just go to my profile and click away. But I'm not done yet. As you should know, hurricane Sandy hit my home state as well as others and now many people are devastated. You can help those lucky survivors out, just text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to donate ten dollars for those who have had their homes destroyed by Sandy. Thank you for your donation. Now I've held you up long enough, to the story!**

-X-

Max relaxed his tired old bones after digging near the border of the Oasis. Sure Timon tells him not to dig but he just can't help himself. At least he refills the holes with dirt so that there was no sign of him digging at times. He sighed in relief, sat back to view the stars, and thought back to the days of Fearless Buzz.

Timon wasn't like Buzz, he wasn't fearless, but he definitely had his spirit. It was then Max realized how similar the two of them were. They were different, unique, they didn't belong in the colony…They belonged with family. And that was exactly what Buzz was trying to tell him before that fateful day.

-X-

"_Hyenas! The hyenas! They've found us!" screeched Twitch's father, Glitch running into the tunnels._

_All the meerkats gasped in horror. And already they were starting to panic. _

"_Calm down! They can't get us as long as we stay in the tunnels" pointed out Max._

_Everyone stopped and started agreeing before Glitch shook his head, still with that panic-crazed look in his eyes._

"_No! You don't get it! They're digging!" shouted Glitch._

_As if on cue, a large paw broke through the dirt from above. It reached down and scooped up a screaming meerkat. With that, the entire colony went back into mass panic and hysteria._

"_Quick, get deeper!" ordered Max._

_As the colony began to dig furiously trying to get deeper, someone quickly tapped Max on his shoulder in complete urgency._

"_Not now Maisha!" said Max._

"_But Uncle Max-!"_

"_I said not now!"_

"_The nursery! No one's there, my kits are going to be…" said Ma _

_She didn't have to finish. The nursery was filled with newborn kits and they would all be eaten. To make it worse, Maisha recently gave birth to three kits. His face registered panic when he heard a large crash near the nursery. _

"_No!" he shouted._

_Thankfully from the dust cloud ran in a rather large male meerkat carrying five kits. _

"_Oh, Buzz, thank goodness you're safe! And the kits too!" cried out Ma in relief as she hugged her mate._

"_But I couldn't save them all" panted Buzz in disappointment._

"_Five is better than none, hurry we have to go!" ordered Max._

"_No! You don't get it! Some of the mothers were there…But now…" whispered Buzz. He stood up with much resolve. He gave his three kits to Ma and the other two to Max. "I have to try and avenge their deaths"_

"_What! Buzz, don't do something you'll regret" said Max._

"_You might die out there, I can't let that happen" added Ma._

"..._I have an idea…But I won't be coming back" said Buzz reluctantly._

"_No…You can't just leave! What about the kits, what about _our_ kits?" said Ma in tears._

"_Listen Maisha, I love you very much. Don't forget that…" said Buzz as he pulled Ma into a tight embrace. He looked down at the kits. "And I love all of you as well…Be good to your mother…" Finally he turned to Max. "I know we may not be very fond of each other but I need you to tell the colony to do something"_

"_I'm not going to have them risk their lives for something you want to drag them into" huffed Max._

"_Don't worry…My life is the only one that's going to be put at stake out there" Max chuckled. "I just need you to make a tunnel near the gorge…"_

"_The gorge? What are you planning?" asked Max._

"_Just trust me…" said Buzz as he told Max his plan. _

"_But then you'll be crushed!" protested Max._

_Buzz gave him a sad smile before turning toward the entrance. He was about to walk out before Ma stopped him._

"_But the kits…We haven't even named them…" whispered Ma._

"_I'm sure you'll think of something…But name this one Timon…That's my real name after all" said Buzz softly touching one of the male kits who wasn't crying like the other two. "He seems to have the same spirit as I do…"_

"_I know I said you didn't belong with this colony but I'm fairly certain that your place is not in the afterlife" said Max still attempting to stop him._

"…_You were right when you had said that I didn't belong with this colony…I belong with my family…"_

"_Then why are you leaving it?"_

"_Leaving it? I don't see it that way…I'm protecting it"_

_Those were his last words before running up to face the hyenas alone, at least to them. They could here him taunting the hyenas up above._

"_Hey, you mangy mutts! Come and get me!" taunted Buzz from above._

_Ma held the kits close to her and fell back. She began crying. Max felt that he needed to say something to comfort her but he knew he was needed elsewhere. He ran to where the rest of the meerkats were digging. He told them to stop and led them in another direction._

_Soon enough he dug himself up to the surface once his job was complete. He stood near the gorge and watched as Buzz ran into the crevice with at least thirty hyenas on his tail. It was insane but Buzz was able to outrun them. But he finally stopped when he was in the middle of the gorge. Buzz looked in Max's direction and gave an almost imperceptible nod. Max was even surprised he saw it from his position. The lead hyena pounced on him at the same time Max shouted the signal._

"_Now!"_

_From inside the tunnels all the meerkats tackled the wall. The top of the gorge shifted and slowly a single rock fell in. One of the hyenas cackled crazily when the rock missed. But he was silenced when the entire wall began to collapse on itself. In the end a huge rock slide crushed them all. _

_Once the dust had cleared, Max hopped cautiously onto the pile of rocks. He looked around and knew that there were no survivors. He sighed sadly as the rest of the colony from above cheered._

_He made his way back and sat down next to his crying niece. He patted her back and spoke comforting words to her. The rest of the colony was preparing a feast and enjoying life. They didn't care about the rest of the meerkats who had lost their kits or mates. _

"_We're going to have a proper ceremony honoring them…And don't even think of ending your life…Your kits need you…Timon needs you" whispered Max._

"_But Buzz…He's gone…" cried Ma._

"_Shh…I know…But he left in a way the rest of us would be too scared of…He was fearless…" said Max._

"_Fearless Buzz…"_

-X-

Timon never did what he did out of recklessness. He didn't fight the hyenas in the hopes he might die with some honorable name. No...He fought not for the colony's sake or even for his own, he did it for Pumbaa and Simba…His family. He never actually met his father but he sure did act like him.

It was strange, from that day on Max had promised to be a little more like Buzz for Ma's sake. But in the end he did the exact same thing to Timon as he did to Buzz. He neglected to support him and only went against him every time. If only there was a way to change that…

"Max, big trouble!" shouted Twitch running in.

Huh, how odd that the memory Max went back to started with Glitch and now Twitch was running into the scene.

"What is it Twitch? Did predators find their way here?" asked Max.

"No it's not that. It might not even be something to be worried about, but at least twenty meerkats went missing last night" said Twitch.

"Missing? What do you mean by missing exactly?" inquired Max.

"I mean there's no trace of them. We all just figured they had gone off somewhere but they never returned. And now their families are getting really worried about them and they're afraid that something unspeakably horrible happened to them" said Twitch.

Max rubbed his chin as he thought of the possibilities before coming to a conclusion. But he was hoping with all his heart he was wrong. "Did they vanish before or after those lions from last night came around?"

"A little after, when those lions went off to hunt for lizards and birds" said Twitch before coming to the same conclusion. "Wait, you don't think that they hunted the meerkats do you?"

"Not Tamina's partner but maybe that other one. It is a possibility since birds and lizards are difficult to find even here though so he might've resorted to a meerkat dinner"

"But it's against Simba's law for lions to eat any colony members from the Oasis! We even told them that. So why would they?"

"I don't know but this would mean that the lion has no restraint and a bit of blood lust. He might even be a danger to the Pride Lands"

"Then we have to go warn them"

"I know and we will"

"But it might be dangerous if we bring numerous meerkats. I'll go alone!"

"No, Twitch I can't let you do that. Ever since coming here your twitch has vanished, you've become healthier and livelier. I can't have a youngster like you risking your life for a mistake I did" said Max, walking over to the border.

"A mistake, what do you mean?" asked Twitch bringing Max to stop in his tracks.

Max paused and thought about what his answer would be. And that was when he found it. He turned back around and looked Twitch in the eye. "…I let that lion accompany my niece to the Pridelands. That's where Timon is…And I plan on protecting my family" said Max.

Twitch nodded and smiled. "I understand. I guess I can't stop you then…Say hi to your nephew for me"

Max nodded and began digging. He dug with a new resolve and this time he wasn't digging out of natural instinct. He had a new drive; he was going to protect his family, even if it killed him.

-X-

The den was eerily quiet and it was something Kopa wasn't used to it. He liked sleeping under the stars and not in a cave. He looked around to find Hasani fast asleep and Tamina as well. He sighed and thought back to only hours earlier when he had step foot onto Pride Rock.

-X-

_After talking to the king about whatever, the lioness that guided them to Pride Rock ran back down to meet them. Her expression was unreadable and she seemed very stiff._

"_The king is ready to see you" said the lioness._

_She led them to the grand kopje that was Pride Rock. And very soon, the three strangers to the Pridelands stood before the royal family and a couple other lions from the Pride Lands. All of them seemed to have different reactions upon seeing them. They were all probably surprised to see a lion that looked so similar to a cub they once knew. _

_Kopa searched the faces of each of the lions and noted how many of them looked familiar to them, although he couldn't match a name for each face. When his eyes landed on the king, he was greatly surprised. It was the same lion from his dream._

"_Welcome weary travelers. I hope you all had a safe trip here. Please, make yourself at home. I am King Simba of the Pride Lands" greeted the king with a soft smile. His smile didn't reach his eyes though for Kopa could see them shine with sadness._

"_It is a true honor to be in your presence your majesty. I have heard many stories about you from my pride in the north" bowed Hasani._

"_Yes King Kanu is one of my closest friends. The same goes for king Malka of the Western pride. He's told me stories of the hero meerkat, Tamina. It is a pleasure to meet you" said Simba turning his attention to Tamina._

"_Malka's talked about me huh, I mean, thank you, your majesty" bowed Tamina._

"_As for you Kopa, Vitani's told me your story and I must say that it does seem to match another cub's story from this pride. It is most likely you are from here but unfortunately, until we have truly confirmed that you are who you say you are, we will not tell you who your real family is. Nonetheless, I am happy to meet you" said Simba."This is my daughter, princess Kiara. Her mate, and prince of the Pride Lands, Kovu. My mate, queen Nala is resting at the moment. She…isn't feeling well"_

_Both Kovu and Kiara bowed respectively. Kovu's expression was completely neutral while Kiara seemed a little sad. Kopa wondered if it was possible that she was not happy to be Kovu's mate. But he was soon proven wrong when he saw how those two were beside each other the entire time during dinner. He, Hasani, and Tamina were given a separate den from the main one to sleep in. Apparently they were to stay to see if Kopa could remember anything else from being here. Night came quickly and soon he could hear the crickets chirping. It was going to be a long night._

-X-

Simba…He was so familiar and he was sure he showed up a lot in his buried memories. It might've just been because he was a king and he looked up to him. But there was another possibility…Kopa shook his head to clear it of those thoughts. It was completely ridiculous anyway. Him, a prince? That'll be good for a laugh.

But there was no way to deny the similar features seen between Simba and Kopa. He was sure Hasani and Tamina saw it too, they just didn't say anything about it. And besides, if he was the king's son then they would've said something right? It didn't make sense to keep this a secret. Unless they didn't want him to be king and wanted the lion Kovu to rule. It sounded preposterous considering the kind nature Simba had displayed but it also made sense somehow.

Suddenly a new thought pushed its way into his head. The one that attacked him might've been one of his parents. Maybe they saw him unfit to be king and waited until the queen was pregnant with Kiara to kill him. And now that they've found out he was alive, they're just trying to find another way to send him to his death.

Kopa shuddered and once again he had to shake those thoughts out of his system. It was all he could do to not replace the image of King Simba with this other image of a scarred maniac, tyrant of a king, who oddly resembled Kovu. He sighed and stood up. He was tired but he was also restless. He decided to explore the Pride Lands a little more. As a matter of fact, he knew exactly where to start. He quietly stepped over Tamina's sleeping form and made it outside. Once he was out in the fresh air, he walked towards his destination, hopefully he remembered where it was.

There was a place he had to see with his own eyes. And the best view was the one at night. Hopefully it'll bring back some old memories too. It was the place from his dreams…

-X-

Kovu stepped out of the main den and walked to the edge of Pride Rock. He watched the stars to see if he could see or hear the Great Kings of the Past. One thing for sure, he wanted to see if Rafiki had been right and Taka was really up there.

He noticed a shadowy figure below making its way towards some unknown location. It was either Kopa or that Hasani character; all he knew was that it was a male lion. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He sat down and laid his head in his paws. It was dark and quiet but he just couldn't sleep.

"If you plan on staying awake all night then how are you going to stay awake when we watch the sunrise tomorrow?" asked a gentle voice from behind him.

"Simba, I didn't hear you" said Kovu getting up to face his father-in-law.

"Unlike Kiara, I can be silent when I want to. Speaking of silence, don't tell her I said that" smiled Simba.

Kovu chuckled softly. "Well what are you doing up this late? If you're so worried about staying awake during the sunrise then why are you up?"

"Even a king can be restless sometimes. It's been a busy day…A lots happened…And so, I have a lot to think about"

"I see…So you're awake because you're thinking about Kopa?"

"What else?" said Simba before looking down with a saddened expression. "I thought I had lost him and now, here he is just a few caves away from me and I can't even talk to him…It took everything in me not jump and nuzzle him today. I didn't believe he was alive…But when I saw him…I knew it was him"

"…Then why didn't you tell him? Vitani only wanted to ensure that he was truly Kopa…And you just said yourself that it was definitely him"

"It's not that easy…Like Vitani said finding out my son is alive…It would mean revoking you of your next in line title…I'm not sure I could take that away from you, not from all the hard work you put in to get you where you are now"

"But I'm not even sure if _I'm _worthy enough to become king. It's a lot of responsibility…And we don't even know what kind of king I'd become. What if I'm like Scar, the power goes to my head and the lands die. But I refuse to move us and we all end up dying"

"Kovu…That would never happen…If it did then you can trust Kiara and your heir to knock some sense into you! That's what Nala and Kiara did whenever I strayed from the right path" smiled Simba.

"I see…" Kovu chuckled. He looked back up into the sky. "But Scar is still a part of me…I didn't even know who my real father was…"

Simba sighed. "I did…His name was Neo and he was one of the bravest and strongest lions alive. He was also very kind…And Scar is a part of all of us. He's left his mark on us and there's nothing we can do about it except accept it. We can cover that mark by becoming more and more like the lion we want to be. Not the lion the mark wants us to be"

"Thanks but…I'm still a bit unsure of myself…"

"Kovu…Do you know what I see whenever I look at you?"

"No…What?"

"I see Neo and Taka. The kind of king Taka would've wanted to become and not Scar. Scar is a part of you…But it's Taka that has made his mark on you. And Neo, his strength and bravery is reflected in you. I know you will be a great king…And a great father…"

"You know that it's true right?" said Kiara, coming out of the den.

"Kiara? You're getting better at sneaking up on me" smiled Kovu.

"Only because you're there to teach me" Kiara smiled back as she nuzzled him affectionately. "All of us believe in you Kovu…Why can't you do the same?"

"I guess it's just hard…"

"Well it really isn't…You've already proven yourself the moment you jumped in front of your own family in order to protect us. That's how I know that you understand what it means to be a great king. Forget about that prophecy and just believe in yourself. We're part of your family now…And we'll never let you stray from the right path" said Kiara.

Kovu embraced Kiara tightly and looked at both his mate and father-in-law. "Thank you…For everything. For believing in me and…being my family"

"Anything for you" said Kiara softly with a loving smile.

"Now why don't we go back inside? It's a little chilly tonight" smiled Simba.

It was a beautiful night and if one looked carefully. You could see a black maned lion with green eyes looking down from the sky with a smile.

-X-

**Yup, this longer chapter was to make up for the shorter chapter. I hoped you enjoy this heartfelt chapter. Of course Kopa's part was a little bit depressing…But other than that I think it turned out pretty good. Am I updating too fast? Do you think this should really be rated T? What did you think of this chapter? Don't forget to leave a review! I'll be waiting. By the way…It snowed! **


	14. Starting Over or Just Starting

**I have this strange feeling that these intros are very long and the chapters are too short. Do any of you think so? Anyway, the responses I've been receiving are still dwindling, my guess is that it's because I update way too fast. So I'm going to be uploading at a more normal pace. Sorry if any of you don't like this but it's my decision. Now here are my reviewer shout outs!**

**To Littletiger – Glad to hear your friends like it! Tell them thanks for reading if you could. **

**That's pretty much it for now, can't wait to see what else all of you have to say about this story. Don't be afraid to share your opinion. It's okay if you hate it; just tell me how I can improve on it. Reviews make a writer happy. And for now I won't be doing these intros anymore. I feel like if new readers come to read this then they'll want to ignore these intros so they're pretty much useless. This'll be the last one unless I need to answer a question given to me by a reviewer. P.S. When I've completed this story, I will revise it to fix my mistakes because I've noticed a lot of them.**

-X-

Kopa walked through the grass until he found a place where it was covered by leaves. The shape made it into a natural curtain that covered his view. He pulled back the leaves to reveal a beautifully starlit night sky.

"Wow…" he breathed as he stepped into full view of it. "It's even more beautiful than in my dream"

He sat down and looked at the stars and tried to remember every little detail from his dream. He remembered something about 'Great Kings of the Past' but he also remembered how he used to love coming here as a cub. He turned to his right and was about to try a different location to view the stars but his paw accidentally bumped into something. It was warm and furry.

He heard a soft moan and he looked down to see Vitani. She was fast asleep on the dampened grass but when he had accidentally kicked her she was slowly waking up. She tiredly rubbed her eyes with her paws and looked up at him.

"Simba?" asked Vitani but realized quickly who he really was. "No…Kopa? What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep so I came here…I had this dream last night where I was a cub and I came here. I had this other lioness cub with me that night and we were meeting the king for some reason. What about you, what are you doing here?" said Kopa hesitantly.

"I couldn't sleep either so I went to take a walk. I came here to look up at the stars and I must've dozed off" said Vitani quietly. She remembered that memory he was speaking of perfectly. It was one of her favorites since it was one where she was together with Kopa.

"I have to ask you something Vitani…And I need you to be completely honest with me" said Kopa.

Vitani seemed to be surprised by this but she didn't want to disappoint him. "I can't promise you that I'll be completely honest but I'll do my best. Fire away…"

"When I was a cub growing up here…We were best friends, right?"

"…Yes…We were…Actually Afua was your best friend but I come a close second. We used to hang out a lot and we loved to come here to gaze at the stars. It was a lot of fun being around you…"

"And…Is that the truth?"

"Of course…I've lied a lot in my days but this is one subject I wouldn't give false words to"

"Thanks…That's all I needed to hear" smiled Kopa.

Vitani felt her heartbeat quicken with just one look of his smile. It had the same childish grin as it did years ago but now there was this more mature feel to it. The scars were still an eyesore but once you looked past that he was a very handsome lion.

"No problem" she said quietly. She was thankful for her fur or else he would've seen her blushing.

"Actually, there's something else I wanted to ask you" said Kopa.

"Go ahead"

"Would you be willing to be my friend again? It's just I think you're a really nice lioness and according to my memories…You were one of the best things to have ever happened to me. And it'd also be nice if you could help me remember everything about the Pride Lands…I'd love to see what I could remember…Especially about you"

Okay, if she was blushing before her face was now on fire. She felt like she could just die right there and she'd be content but she knew she had to keep her emotions in check. Looks like Zira's teachings would have to come into use once more.

"I'd like that" smiled Vitani shyly.

-X-

It was finally daybreak and everyone in the pride was up and awake. Even Timon and Pumbaa who usually preferred to remain asleep during this time. But there were two specific animals that were enjoying their morning to the fullest.

"No, it just isn't possible" laughed Vitani as she walked through the tall grass with Kopa by her side.

"Hey no matter what you say I know what I saw. Tamina really did beat up a rhino" smiled Kopa.

"A meerkat? Really? I learned to never underestimate my enemies but that just seems way too farfetched. But if you keep this up then I'll pretend you said something more reasonable and agree"

"Yeah, that definitely sounds like you"

"What's like me? You remember something?"

"Sort of…I think I'm starting to remember your personality a bit better. You like to have fun, you enjoy hunting, you love to be out in the fresh air, and you hate to be corrected"

"That's pretty much how I am. What else do you remember about me?" asked Vitani, curious to know. But also she noticed that all of these traits belonged to the old her. She had thought she had gotten rid of it when Zira began training her to be a murderer, but it seems being with Kopa has revived her inner cub.

"Hmm…Well, I think you had this grudge against elephants for some odd reason…" said Kopa unsurely.

"Are you pulling my leg? A grudge on elephants? That sounds completely ridiculous! Actually come to think of it I think there was one"

Kopa laughed when she had said that last sentence. "Okay but why?"

"It might have something to do with you pushing me into a pile of elephant dung. Sort of like this!" said Vitani and she pushed Kopa into the water hole.

Kopa made quite a splash as he resurfaced to sound of Vitani laughing. "Okay you got me. Now come help me up" said Kopa, he wasn't angry, far from it, he was smiling quite sweetly and a little too innocently.

"Nuh-uh, you're just going to pull me in with you like you did when we were cubs"

"Oh come on, like I'd remember something like that"

"No, but I bet you were thinking it anyway"

"Maybe"

Kopa walked out of the water and shook himself dry, spraying Vitani a little. While Vitani was still caught with giggling, Kopa was able to catch her off guard and pounce on her playfully. They tumbled down a small hill before coming to a stop. Vitani was surprised to find herself pinned.

"You're not bad. I remembered when I used to be able to pin you all the time" smiled Vitani.

"Well, I've gotten used to having to hunt on my own" said Kopa."It's not like you had any special conditions to help you be a better huntress"

Suddenly Vitani's expression sobered up. She stood up and out of his grasp.

"What's wrong? Was it something I said?" asked Kopa worriedly.

"No…Not like that…You didn't know…" said Vitani quietly.

"Didn't know what?"

"…That I used to be an exiled lioness"

"What? But that doesn't make any sense! I'm positive I've seen you in my memories. You were never an outcast then. Why were you banished?"

"It's long story that I'll save for some other time. Just know that what happened wasn't my fault…It was all my mother's"

"Your mother's?"

"Trust me…Its best that you don't know the reasons for my exile…Just know that…That I didn't want what my mother had wanted"

"…All right…I guess I can't force you to tell me something you don't want to but…"

"But what?"

"Nothing…Just know that I'm here for you" said Kopa gently as he nuzzled her affectionately.

Vitani let herself be nuzzled as she closed her eyes and returned the gesture. But a few seconds later she abruptly pulled away. "I'm sorry…I just…"

"Its fine, I understand…"

'_No, no you don't…'_

-X-

"Looks like 'Tani's finally letting loose" commented Kovu from his point on Pride Rock.

Kiara was sitting beside her mate at the very edge of Pride Rock. They were both observing Vitani and Kopa for the time being. They wanted to see what exactly they would do.

"I feel really bad for doing this. I feel like we're spying on them" commented Kiara.

"No it's fine…It's not like others didn't do the same to you two" said a mysterious voice from behind them.

Both of them almost jumped in surprise but it turned out to be only Rafiki.

"Don't scare us like that! Do you know what could've happened if we had jumped while we were at the edge. How the heck do you appear out of nowhere like that anyway?" said Kovu, only a little angry.

"I apologize for popping up unannounced" Rafiki chuckled. "I'm just here to check on the future heirs of the Pride Lands"

"Did you just say _heirs_? As in more than one?" asked Kiara.

Rafiki only smiled in response. Both Kovu and Kiara smiled brightly at each other.

"I can't believe it! We're going to have more than one cub! That's fantastic!" exclaimed Kiara.

"It sounds like a lot more responsibility but I think we'll manage. Now we're going to be the parents of multiple cubs" smiled Kovu.

"Yes, just keep in mind of what happened to Taka and Mufasa" said Rafiki with a serious expression.

"Yes we know Rafiki. You told us those stories so that we wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past. We'll raise them both to be loved and cared for" assured Kiara.

"And they won't be alone…Simba and I will still be around to watch over them as well" smiled Nala as she came to nuzzle her daughter.

"But won't Simba be busy with his king duties to take care of them?" asked Kovu.

"Simba thinks you are almost ready to take his place as king. So when the time comes he will step down and the throne will belong to you and Kiara. He doesn't have to die for you to take over" said Nala.

"You mean he'll still be here to guide me even when I rule?" asked Kovu.

"Even he wasn't here physically he'd still be up there with the Great Kings of the Past" Rafiki reminded them.

"And I know that you'll be up there with them too one day. No matter what you say and no matter what doubts you have…I know for certain" said Kiara lovingly as she nuzzled her mate.

"I may doubt myself but I know never to doubt you" smiled Kovu returning her nuzzle.

"It seems you have truly found Upendi. And it seems your siblings may have found it as well" said Rafiki.

"Upendi?" questioned Nala.

"It means 'love' right?" said Kiara.

"Hm…I always thought it was 'Upendo' but I guess 'Upendi' does sound better" said Nala.

"Either way it's still very special to us" smiled Kovu.

The royal couple turned to watch their siblings in the distance. They saw them nuzzle for a moment before Vitani broke away.

"It doesn't look as if it's going so well for them" Kovu frowned.

"Mom, you didn't meet Kopa last night. Why don't you go and see him now?" asked Kiara.

Nala looked down sadly and didn't respond for a little while. "…I'm not sure if I'd be able to take it…He is my son after all…If I went to see him then I might just break down and cry in front of him"

"Oh mom…I understand that but don't you want to see him and maybe get to know him for who he is now? You know if he doesn't meet you then he may never remember you" pointed out Kiara.

"And you can just tell him that you were really close to him when he was a cub. You don't really have to tell him who you really are to him" added Kovu.

"Yes…You're right…And I do want to meet him and get to know him for who he is now" smiled Nala.

While Kiara and Kovu were now conversing with the queen, Rafiki felt a sudden breeze from behind and he turned around. He faced the horizon and felt something different. There was something that was disturbing the natural balance of the Pride Lands.

'_Could it be Kopa…No…What is it you are trying to tell me Mufasa?' _Rafiki was very worried now. The only times there was ever a bad connection between the physical world and the spiritual one was when the balance was off.

"There's something here on the Pride Lands. And Mufasa isn't the one telling me this…Who are you?" whispered Rafiki to the sky so that the others wouldn't hear him. He noticed a dark silhouette but that was it. He shook his head and turned back towards the royal family. _'This does not seem good at all'_

-X-

Tamina was watching Kopa and Vitani from her perch on a branch of an acacia tree. She sighed sadly when she saw them nuzzling together. _'Looks like he'll be staying here even if he doesn't find out who his parents are' _Tamina was no expert on love but even she could tell when something more than friendship was about to bloom. She turned away from the scene sadly but jumped in surprise when she saw another meerkat's face so close to her own.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed. "Timon…What are you doing here? You almost scared me right out of this tree"

"Heh, sorry about that…I just saw you up here and you looked kind of lonely so I decided to join you. You know it's not safe for meerkats like us to be roaming around above ground without protection. There are other predators other than lions you know" said Timon.

"Gee thanks captain Obvious, like I don't notice the leopards or cheetahs prowling around. Beside they've got bigger fish to fry other than two small rodents" said Tamina bitterly. "Like that swine friend of yours. The pig"

"His name is Pumbaa. And what put you in such a bad mood Cranky McStanky?" said Timon.

Tamina rudely pushed him to the side, jumped down from the tree, and began walking away. "I don't need this" she muttered.

"Hey, I'm not done with you!"

"Well I'm done with you!"

Timon began following and it was starting to irritate her to no end. She wanted so badly to rip his head off his body but considering he was the son of the very meerkat that offered her a place to stay so that she could be close to Kopa, she knew it would probably be a bad idea.

"Why are you following me? Why don't you go hang out with your mom, I'm sure the two of you have a lot of catching up to do anyway" shouted Tamina over her shoulder.

"Nah, she's hanging out with Pumbaa and they're sharing grub recipes. And I'm following you because I find you much more interesting than the 'many different ways to prepare dung beetles'" said Timon.

"Well I have really bad social skills and a very bad temper so you better just leave me alone!"

Tamina turned around once more but noticed he had vanished. She had no idea how that happened so she just shrugged and turned back around. Once again she jumped in surprise to see Timon staring her in the face once more.

"You can't get rid of me so easily" smiled Timon.

"How did you do that?" she asked from her position on the ground.

"Eh, let's just say I know a baboon. Here, let me help you up" said Timon as he offered her his hand.

"No thanks" she frowned and smacked his hand away. "I can get up on my own" she said as she stood up and left.

"Geez, you really do have a temper"

"Don't make me rip that mouth off that face of yours!"

"Ha, I'd like to see you try!"

"Oh, you don't think I can take on meerkat of your stature? Just because you raised a lion cub like me doesn't put us on the same level. I warn you, if you want to fight me, you'll lose. I took down a rhino with my own bare hands"

"Bring it on! I'm not scared"

Timon was strangely confident. In most cases he wouldn't want to get into a fight with anybody. It wasn't because he was sexist and believed she was below him; it was more because she wasn't a predator and he had a few tricks up his sleeve, metaphorically speaking.

"Don't say I didn't warn you" Tamina smirked as she swiftly jumped to a nearby tree. She pulled out a sharp and long splinter and advanced on him. She was fast and was ready strike with the splinter, aiming to miss of course.

But Timon was completely unfazed. He stood his ground and once she was an inch away from him, he moved right into the range of the piece of wood. Tamina's eyes widened when she stabbed him.

"Argh! What was that for? I expected you to stop before you hit me!" shouted Timon in pain as he fell.

"Oh Great Kings! Timon! Uh…Erm…Don't worry, I'll get you help" said Tamina in a worried tone.

"No…Don't…I already feel too weak. There's no way I'll be able to survive if you go now. Just…Just tell my family…Pumbaa…And Simba that I love them…Good bye…cruel world…" moaned Timon as his eyes squeezed themselves shut.

Blood began to slowly spill out from the damaged area and Tamina only looked on in horror. She walked over to him and knelt down. She was completely horrified and knew that she was in huge trouble. But it wasn't just that, he may have been annoying but it was also sort of lovable. She felt like she was going to cry but then her nose caught an unusual scent. It was from his blood…It smelled like…berry juice?

Timon suddenly grabbed her arms and flipped her over. He was now standing over her and he had her own weapon held to her neck. The fake blood dripped onto her and she noticed that it really was berry juice. He must've been holding red berries before she had 'stabbed' him and it looked a lot like blood. It wasn't just that, the splinter had never stabbed him in the first place; it was just under his armpit.

"Looks like I've won this match" Timon smirked as he threw her weapon away and helped her up.

"You tricked me!" said Tamina indignantly.

"What a fighter lacks in skill and power, he makes up for in brains and strategy" smiled Timon. Little did he know that he was quoting from Taka.

"When did you get a hold of those berries?"

"There's a berry bush behind you"

"Well how did you know I was planning on fake stabbing you?"

"I didn't. That was just luck. If you had decided to use your fists instead then I'd just keep evading until you run out of energy"

"Well how do you know that I wouldn't have caught you? Despite my age, I'm much more agile than you think"

"Yeah, well so am I. Running from predators isn't as easy as you think whereas you don't run from them. You fight them. And I like that, reminds of the stories of my dad"

"Your dad?"

"Yeah, you ever heard of Fearless Buzz? He's the bravest meerkat to have ever lived and he was my father. Even though I never got to know him, I still love him. Ma used to speak of him all the time and not once has she ever not mentioned that she loved him with all her heart" smiled Timon.

"Fearless Buzz was your dad? And here I thought you were just like every other meerkat but I guess you got some of his genes" said Tamina.

"No, I'm nothing like him. Believe me, he was fearless, I'm fearful. I wouldn't be surprised if _you_ were his offspring though. You're a lot like him…Sometimes I wish I was like that too"

"Thanks but the only reason I'm like him is because stories of him swirled around my colony and I dreamed of being like him. So I always tried to do things that no one else could. But because of that, no one liked to hang out with me and I got this cold outward personality. I became known as that crazy meerkat" said Tamina sadly.

"Well all of those meerkats just weren't brave enough to do something like that. Now you're here, where all the meerkats are either just as crazy as or even crazier than you. Myself included. And let's not forget those other meerkats at the oasis; they're all pretty brave too. I bet you'll be able to make tons of friends here!" said Timon in an attempt to cheer her up.

Tamina smiled and giggled. "Thanks Timon…You're pretty cool even though you can be really annoying"

"I get that a lot"

"So…You know any meerkats that are willing to show me around?"

"I think I've got the perfect one in mind"

The two of them began walking through the grass ready for a tour of the Pride Lands. It would be much better than lying around doing absolutely nothing. And it was certainly a step up from spying on Kopa.

"Great! But you probably want to clean up that berry juice off first" said Tamina.

"Actually I think I make this color work" grinned Timon making a pose.

"You're such an idiot…Thanks for being that though. It makes me feel so smart" giggled Tamina.

"Too bad I won't ever be able to make you feel like a genius though"

"Yes you can, just jump off a cliff and scream 'I'm the king of the world' on your way down"

"On second thought, I think making you feel smart is just fine"

-X-

**This chapter was finally completed late last night but I didn't want to update until today. I was very tired and like I said, I wanted to update at a more 'normal' pace. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, tell me what you think and don't hold back. And I think I'll take a small break from writing…I'm hoping for more than just guest reviews or just two reviews. It's like you people don't want me to keep writing. And right now, Mufasa is not resting in peace in this world. How come some of you followers and people who favorite this story, don't send in feedback? If you like it then why not say something or tell me if there's something I can improve on? **


	15. Past and Present

**I know I said I would stop these intros but apparently there are people out there that like them. And the response from the last chapter was just totally overwhelming. Today, lots of good things happened, I find three new reviews (2 Guests) and I found out that a new chapter to my favorite story has been finally uploaded. I was completely overwhelmed with happiness! Mostly because, according to one of my reviews, this story is a big hit in Vietnam. So my thanks to Littletiger and friends for spreading it! For you guys I have a special surprise for you, just come to New York and you'll receive a giant stick, a small pebble, a speck of dust, a machine gun, this pile of mysterious pink goo, this jar of dirt, and this photo of a jogging fat man autographed by this weird old lady that used to live next door! Hope you all enjoyed my small bit of pointless comedy. **

**Oh and one more thing, a message to Littletiger's friend (Sorry I don't remember your name and your name, since you're a guest reviewer, doesn't pop up immediately in my reviews). My Digimon stories aren't that good and if you wanted to check them out, just go to my profile by clicking my name. But I promise you I'll have much better stories than them sometime in the future, try checking the digimon stories in my favorites, they're better than mine.**

**For those of you thinking that I was taking way too long with this new addition don't worry. I told you in the last chapter I'd be taking my time; you can't expect me to be going at mach speed. So, thank you all for reviewing and reading, now to the newest addition of my story!**

-X-

"I'm sorry if what I said had hurt you…I didn't mean it" Kopa apologized for the second time.

"Look its fine…You didn't know…" said Vitani quietly.

"So I guess you did have special conditions to help you become a good huntress. Being alone out there is rough and I had someone with me to help me out. Not to mention some of the lions from the Western pride helped me out too"

"Well…I wasn't exactly…alone. Half the lionesses here used to be exiles along with me. Including Kovu…"

"Wait Kovu was an exile?"

"Kovu's my brother"

"Oh, wow, I never would've guessed. I mean, I guess I do see the family resemblance but if you two were exiles then where were you from?"

"We…We lived here before being exiled…My mother did something horrible and it hurt the king very bad…In the end he banished us and her followers…We didn't have to stay in the Outlands but my mother had insisted…"

"You lived in the Outlands? But…But the king…He doesn't seem at all like the kind of lion that would banish others for one lioness's actions. And to have you guys live out there…In that dreary place…How can you just accept being here again?" roared Kopa.

Vitani was completely shocked by Kopa's sudden outburst. And it seemed to have surprised him as well. But Kopa felt that all of this only solidified his theory that Simba had tried to kill him when he was younger.

"It's fine…I've forgiven him for all he's put us through…The real question is whether or not he could ever forgive me for what_ I've_ put _him_ through…" said Vitani sadly.

"Vitani…How old were you and Kovu when you were banished?" asked Kopa.

"Kovu was only born a week before the banishment so I must've been a couple months older than that"

Kopa turned around and looked away from her. He just couldn't understand what kind of a lion could make cubs so young go through banishment and live in such harsh conditions. There was only one answer to that, the kind of lion that would try to kill his own son. It hurt but that seemed to be the only answer.

"I just can't believe it…" he whispered softly. " What exactly happened to make the king change his mind about your banishment?"

"That's…sort of a long story. Let's just say Kovu and Kiara helped him realize something important" said Vitani.

"What did they help him realize?"

"I'm not quite sure myself…All I know is that it has to do with the saying 'We are one'. And I think it means that no matter who we are, we're all the same in some way"

Kopa was locked in deep thought when he heard some one approaching them. He and Vitani turned around to see Nala, the queen of the Pride Lands.

"Your majesty" bowed Vitani.

"Please Vitani, there's no need to be so formal around me. It's been a very long time Kopa. You've grown so much!" said Nala. Her eyes were watery and she looked like she might cry. "I'm sorry I was unable to greet you yesterday…It's just…You and I were very close when you were a cub and I just wasn't sure if I could handle seeing you again after all this time" Tears were starting to fall from her eyes.

Kopa stood there quietly observing the queen. It looked like he was trying to remember something. "It's fine…I understand…I actually have a memory of you and I can tell that we were really close…" said Kopa quietly.

But there was something else going through his head. This lioness was the queen, which meant she was his mother. And her words were so sincere he just couldn't help but believe her. Maybe she wasn't part of the plot, or maybe he was completely wrong about his theory. One thing was for sure, this lioness felt a very deep pain and he didn't want to put her through any more of it.

"I'm glad to be home" said Kopa softly as he pulled his mother into a sweet embrace. She was surprised at first but then she hugged him back. Vitani watched this family moment and was once again pulled into another memory of her father.

-X-

"_So what game are we going to play now?" asked the cub version of Vitani as she jumped around excitedly._

"_How about…Go to the den and sleep" suggested Neo._

"_Come on dad, you never do anything fun when it's night" complained Vitani._

"_All right then…How about this!" said Neo playfully as he knelt down and nudged Vitani onto the top of his head. He ran around, spun here and there, laughing along with his daughter._

_But he soon came to a stop and lay down on the grass with Vitani giggling beside him. He may be very strong but he was still the oldest lion in the Pridelands. He got exhausted quickly and was now breathing heavily._

"_Let's do that again daddy!" pleaded Vitani._

"_I'm sorry 'Tani, I get winded very easily nowadays" panted Neo._

"_Aw…Then can we play a different game?"_

"_Alright…This one's not much of a game but it's very enjoyable. It's sort of like a tradition for Pride Land lions. We simply look up in the sky and stargaze"_

"_That's sounds boring"_

"_It does, doesn't it? But that's when you need to use your imagination to add your own touch to it"_

"_How do we do that?"_

"_Look up there. See those stars very close to each other? It kind of makes an image that looks like…"_

"_A rhino!"_

"_You see…Now why don't you try and find something yourself?"_

"_Okay! Well…That looks like two birds circling each other! And over there it looks like a flower! And that one kind of looks like a newborn baby cub!" giggled Vitani. She looked up at her dad with a smile. "Hey dad, when will my new sibling be born?"_

_Neo's smile dropped and he suddenly looked very sad. "…Too soon, I'm afraid"_

_Vitani tilted her head in confusion as she looked up at him._ "_Why? Don't you want to have another cub?" _

"_Of course I do…It's just…You know I won't be here forever right?"_

"_Yeah, the king told me that every animal has to join the stars one day"_

"_I'm just afraid that I won't have the time to watch my new cub grow up…"_

"_You don't plan on leaving, do you daddy? You're not dying are you? Should I get Rafiki?"_

_Vitani was now sitting up and she was very worried. Neo on the other paw, remained calm and sat up as well. He pulled Vitani close to him and gave her a warm hug._

"_I would never leave you…You're my little 'Tani…But sometimes one just has to go but that doesn't mean I won't be with you. We will always be a part of each other…Together…We are one…" said Neo softly._

-X-

"Vitani, are you okay? You just started crying all of a sudden" said Kopa causing the tawny furred lioness to snap back to reality.

"Oh…I'm fine really…I was just thinking about something…Nothing to worry about" said Vitani. "Where'd the queen go?"

"She went back to Pride Rock…Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine…Really…"

-X-

"Simba, I'm glad I caught up with you. You're patrolling the borders right now, am I correct?" said Hasani as he bounded up to the king.

Simba opened up his mouth to answer but Zazu, who was perched upon the king's shoulder, answered in his place.

"Yes, the king has very important duties he must take care of. He cannot waste time by talking to a visitor such as yourself" said Zazu.

"Zazu, be a little more polite to our guest. I know you don't trust many that easily but you don't have to talk as if they're below you" reminded Simba.

"Of course, I apologize; it's just a force of habit. I'm always telling cubs not to bother the king while he is working, I guess those type of words are just stuck in my head" said Zazu.

"Then why don't you take a break?" suggested Simba.

"That would be greatly appreciated. Thank you sire" bowed Zazu as he flew off.

Once he was out of sight, Simba looked over at Hasani. "Now what was it that you wanted?" asked the king.

"Well, to be completely honest, I didn't just come here as a tourist. I'm also looking for a lion that used to live in my pride. His name is Neo" said Hasani. "Do you know of him?"

Simba was greatly surprised. He had known that Neo was from a different pride but he always seemed like he was from one of those minor or smaller prides. He didn't seem like a great kingdom kind of lion. "Yes…Neo used to live here but he left the Pride Lands a few years back" said Simba.

"I see…That's a shame" said Hasani, sounding very disappointed. "He was a rather famous lion back in my pride and I was hoping to meet him"

"Neo never told me he was from the Northern kingdom. And King Kanu has never mentioned him"

"Oh no, Neo isn't from the Northern kingdom. He's from a minor pride close to it, I used to live there too but the King Kanu merged the great kingdom with our small pride"

"Ah, yes, Kanu told me of his kingdom's expansion, if I remember correctly, this only happened just a few months ago"

"That is correct sire…I heard the stories of Neo from my older sister. And I wanted to meet him. But considering how old he is…I guess that may never happen" Hasani turned away from the king, looking greatly disappointed. "Thank you for taking your time with me though"

"Now hold on. Neo may not be here but you can get to know him through his children" suggested Simba.

"Neo had cubs?"

"Two in fact, actually, my son-in-law just so happens to be Neo's son"

"Kovu?"

Simba nodded. "Yes and his sister Vitani. They both have many of Neo's traits"

Hasani's expression was unreadable for a moment but then it changed into a soft smile. "Then the stories I've heard must be true. If Kovu is capable to be king of these lands then Neo must've been a great lion himself"

"He was…" smiled Simba but then he heard an elephant trumpet angrily. That was never a good sign. "I have to run now. Why don't you take a look around the Pride Lands?"

Hasani nodded and watched as Simba's body became a silhouette in the distance. He sighed and turned around but froze in his steps. His gentle face changed into one of a lion defending himself. "Who's there?" he growled.

"I am so sorry…I didn't mean to sneak up on you" said a young lioness coming out of the bushes. "I wasn't following you or anything. I was just heading towards the water hole"

Hasani sighed softly and relaxed. "It's fine…I'm actually used to being followed by lionesses all the time" Hasani's name meant handsome, and it fit him very well because…That's what he was.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…My name's Sierra by the way" greeted Sierra awkwardly.

"Hi…I don't think we've met formally. My name's Hasani" Hasani chuckled.

"Well…Sorry for wasting your time" said Sierra as she turned around.

"Now hold on…I could use a tour guide to show me around. And since there aren't any other lionesses as pretty as you around, could you do so?"

"Well I guess I could-Wait…Did you just call me pretty?"

"Did I? Huh, I meant to say beautiful"

Sierra giggled lightly but quickly regained her composure. "No problem…I can show you around"

-X-

"How can you not be mad at that?" questioned Jua furiously.

"What do you want me to do about it? He doesn't remember me so why does it matter? And why do you care so much anyway?" asked Afua.

"She's an Outsider; she isn't supposed to be socializing with the prince. It's like Kovu and Kiara all over again only the genders are reversed!"

"Vitani's no Outsider and neither is Kovu. What's up with you? They were brainwashed by their freak of a mother, why do you keep blaming them for things that were out of their control?"

"Maybe because you didn't suffer the way my family did. Both my mom's parents were killed by that tyrant of a king Scar! She used to cry to me all the time, do you know how hard it is to watch your own mother in so much pain?"

"Well why do you have to associate it with Kovu and Vitani? They weren't even born then!"

"Because they _are_ associated with him! They were supposed to carry on his legacy and you know as much as I do that they're carrying the same darkness in their hearts as he did!"

Afua remained quiet through Jua's rant. He only glared at him, hating each word he said. "You know what?" shouted Afua standing up. "I've had enough of this. It seems like you're more like Scar than either of those two!"

"Afua!"

"No! That's enough! They've done nothing wrong and all you do is treat them like scum! And you're one to talk; you only hung out with Kopa because of his social status!"

Jua growled and pounced on him but Afua was able to evade him just in time.

"I'm going to see Sierra" muttered Afua as he bounded out of their cave.

Jua huffed angrily and laid down in his paws. He listened to the outside world and his ears perked up when he heard something. It sounded way too light to be a lion though. "Who's there?"

"…I'm just someone who agrees with you…" said an unfamiliar voice.

"Ha! Yeah right! Everyone simply adores Kovu just because he's the prince. He hasn't done anything to prove himself and I don't think jumping in with Kiara to stop their parents from fighting each other counts" said Jua.

"Did you like the princess?"

"What makes you say that?" scoffed Jua.

"…Do you want to be king of these lands?"

"I'd like to be but I know nothing about being a king. And it seems like its too much responsibility anyway"

"Then would you like Kopa to be king instead of Kovu?"

"Of course I do, but not if Vitani's going to be his queen"

"Well what if I told you we could get rid of those Outsiders and only have it back the way it used to be? With only true Pridelanders"

"…I'm listening…"

The creature outside the cave remained out there. But he smiled evilly when he heard Jua's answer. "Then there's just one little thing you have to do"

-X-

"Wait, Rafiki, before you go" said Kovu stopping the shaman from leaving Pride Rock.

"Yes, what is it prince Kovu?" asked the elderly mandrill.

"I know you told us of Taka's story but what of Scar? There has to be more…Everything you've said seems to have justified what he had done to Hondari even though it was wrong. But what filled his heart so much hate that it justified him for killing Mufasa?" asked Kovu.

Rafiki looked at Kovu and Kiara with a very sad expression. "Yes…There is much more to Taka's story to fully transform him into Scar. And you're right; everything that had happened did not justify what he had done to the late king. I was just hoping you wouldn't be able to figure out that there was more"

"Well I'd like to hear the full story" said Kovu.

"Me too…I want to make sure we raise our cubs right" added Kiara.

Rafiki sighed as he sat down in front of them. "Very well…"

-X-

"_Here's your meal Scar" laughed one of the guards as he threw in a half-eaten zebra leg._

"_Its _prince_ Scar" growled the black maned lion inside the cave. He had gotten a lot skinnier and the lack of fresh air has matted down his mane. _

"_More like prisoner Scar!" laughed the female guard._

"_You two will regret treating me like this. My brother won't let you get away with mistreating me!" growled Scar._

"_Well would you look at that? The mighty Scar still has to depend on his big brother to protect him" mocked the male guard._

"_Truly pitiful" added the female guard with a head shake._

"_When I get out of here you will both suffer! And I will make sure that everything I put you through will make your grandchildren walk down the same darkened path as I had" Scar growled._

"_Grandchildren? He's already lost it! We're not much older than you, we only have a daughter" scoffed the male guard._

"_Yeah, why don't you go back to your food before it rots? Oh wait, seems like that's already happened with the predator" smirked the female guard._

"_What are you two doing?" shouted Sarabi as she appeared on the scene and advanced on the gaurds._

"_Queen Sarabi!" they both bowed in respect to their new queen._

"_I want the both of you off duty now!" ordered Sarabi._

"_But-!"_

"_Now!"_

"_Yes, ma'am" The two guards left without another word as Sarabi looked at Scar with an expression of pity._

"_Thank you for that Sarabi" Scar sighed._

"_Don't think this means I forgive you for what you've done to Sarafina" said Sarabi. "I only did what I did out of old times' sake"_

_Scar didn't say anything more. He just watched the back of his sister-in-law as she guarded the cave. It stung but he knew that what he did had hurt Sarafina. He decided to sleep on it. When he awoke, he noticed that it was already dark outside. He saw the silhouettes of two lions, one male and the other female. He thought it was the two from earlier but then he heard the undeniable voice of his brother._

"_I don't know what I'm going to do Sarabi. He's my brother but everyone is treating him so much more differently than they used to. I'm worried it'll push him into doing something he'll regret" said Mufasa._

"_You're worrying too much. You know him better than anybody. He wouldn't go that far" consoled Sarabi._

"_No Sarabi…I thought I knew him. But it turns out I didn't when he killed Hondari. It just doesn't seem like him anymore" _

"_Mufasa…You worry too much. It's the pressure of being king, don't worry…I'm sure Taka will come around. And if you do think he'll be pushed to the extremes then you can just order everyone to treat him better"_

"_That'll only create controversy in the kingdom. You know as well as I do how much Hondari meant to the animals here"_

"_Is that really how it is then _brother_?" said Scar, saying the last word with hatred._

"_Taka-"_

"_I told you not to call me that!"_

"_Scar…It's not that I don't want to do it. The importance of the kingdom comes before family" said Mufasa._

"_That's not how you thought when we were cubs. You used to go on and on about how you would always put your family before the kingdom. Sure the kingdom is important but what's more important to _you_?" asked Scar._

"…_You know what's important to me…I'd like to know what's important to you. When we were cubs all you ever wanted was to be the kind of king that everyone would've respected and loved…But how was killing Hondari supposed to accomplish that? What were you hoping for? Were you hoping to change your fate? Well you didn't have to go so far…I wanted to rule together with you but after seeing what happened that day…I knew you weren't ready"_

"_How dare you talk as if you're above me!" _

"…_I'm sorry…"_

"_You sound just like father! You're too weak to rule!"_

_Mufasa turned his back on him as Scar growled at him. But Scar new better than to fight them, he was already weak due to malnutrition. Fighting would mean certain death._

"_From this day forth I have no brother!" roared Scar._

_Scar didn't see them but a few tears were shed by Mufasa that day. Mufasa lay in the den crying, thinking of how he had just lost his brother. And he didn't know if he would ever see him again._

-X-

**The rest of Scar's story will be seen in the next chapter. Not just that but we're going to see how the younger generation of lions are doing. I hoped you liked this chapter. I worked hard on it! I must say though, it's not as good as other chapters. Well don't forget to review and I'll see you next time. **


	16. Prince's Promise

**Yeah, the mystery creature that spoke to Jua might not even be a lion. I'm not really sure what kind of animal it is really; all I know is that it's an ally to the real bad guy of my story. So it might be a lion but not likely. I've put a lot of thought into this chapter, mostly because this is one of the most emotional parts of the story. I wanted to make sure it touched your hearts in some way. Hope you guys enjoy and don't forget to review. **

**I just remembered, there are two questions I have to answer. First, this story is going to be relatively twenty or more chapter long. Second, my real name is Kevin; I am not going to tell you my last name. Sorry if you find that impolite of me but I'm sort of a closet fanfic writer. Besides, I prefer to be called Zero Unit anyway.**

**And one last thing…On Friday (11/23/12) premiers the final episode of **_**iCarly**_**…I'm not sure if you guys like that show but it's my most favorite show in the world. If you like the series please make sure you watch it. I'm definitely going to do it. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I've never been sadder to see a show end. Not even my old favorites like **_**Wizards of Waverly Place**_**, **_**Suite Life on Deck**_**, or **_**Hannah Montana**_**. I'm going to miss **_**iCarly**_**. I will always remember the laughs, the sad times, and the happy moments. This was my tribute to the greatest show in the world, to me at least. I love **_**iCarly**_**!** :')

'**I always knew this day would come…We'd be standing one by one…With our future in our hands…So many dreams, so many plans…I always knew that after all these years…There'd be laughter, there'd be tears…Never thought that I'd walk away…With so much joy but so much pain…And it's so hard to say goodbye…But yesterday's gone, we gotta keep moving on…I'm so thankful for the moments, so glad I got know you…The times that we had, I'll keep like a photograph…And hold you in my heart forever…I'll always remember you…' – **_**I'll Always Remember You**_** by Miley Cyrus. (I'll never forget…)**

-X-

_Scar woke up early when he heard the flapping of the majordomo's wings near the entrance of the cave. He opened his eyes and looked over at his guard and Zazu who were conversing with each other. Soon the guard nodded her head and turned to Scar._

"_Looks your free as of today" said the lioness without any emotion in her voice._

_Scar's been under den arrest for months now and he had changed so much. Physically that is. From his strong self he had become scrawny and ugly. Hearing that he was now free came as a shock to him until he remembered._

"_So I guess my nephew or niece is born then?" assumed Scar._

_The lioness nodded. "Zazu just told me. The new heir is prince Simba. I hope you enjoy your freedom" With that the lioness turned and left without another word._

_Scar slowly left the den and took in the scenery. Nothing in the Pride Lands had changed that much but after being inside of a dark cave for months had made everything look so much brighter. _

"_Scar! You're finally out! I've missed you so much!" smiled Zira coming towards him._

"_Thank you Zira…Now if you excuse me I'm going to go meet the new prince" said Scar._

"_You don't want to meet him…He's just a little kitten…Besides you're the one who deserves the right to be king, not that fur ball" said Zira coldly._

"_That 'fur ball' is my nephew"_

"_No he isn't…You said so yourself, you have no brother and therefore, you have no nephew"_

_Scar turned deathly silent. "…That was a mistake…"_

_Zira frowned, this wasn't good for her. Did his punishment actually change him back to his old self? "But Scar…You don't understand…All Mufasa's ever done is undermine your authority. You could've become a great king! And you still can! All you have to do is listen to what I say"_

"_Zira…I can't do anything of the sort to my family…And besides, I have no allies anyway. Everybody hates me and they love my brother…I can't compete…" _

"_That's not true…The hyenas still follow your every command. If I'm correct they even snuck food in for you to eat"_

_Scar grimaced and looked away from her._ "_Yes…Shenzi and the others have been loyal. That's how I know they are my real friends"_

_Zira smiled but carefully hid it so that Scar didn't notice. Her expression changed from a cold smile into that of worried look. "Then you didn't hear about what happened to your friends?"_

"_What do you mean?" asked Scar._

"_They were caught trying to sneak in food for you and they were thought to be poaching so Mufasa punished them" said Zira. What she said was true; the hyenas were punished for poaching. They didn't want Scar to get in trouble so they made up a lie that they were stealing food from the Pride Lands. Truthfully though, they hunted the food themselves past the northern border away from the Pride Lands._

"_How did he punish them?"_

"_He drove them out of the Pride Lands, had them chased off with at least a dozen lionesses and himself. They're severely hurt by some of them but nothing fatal or permanent"_

"_How could he?" roared Scar. "He's supposed to be this fair and incredible ruler! But instead he goes and attacks some animals. He has no idea of the pain they've gone through"_

"_I know, what happened to them was horrible. And I have to ask, don't you _want_ to be king?" asked Zira._

"…_I'm not sure…"_

_Zira sighed and turned around with a very sad expression. "I was hoping I didn't have to tell you this but I guess I have to. There's another reason behind why I want you to be king and not Mufasa"_

_Scar tilted his head in curiosity._ "_And what's that?"_

"_I was from a minor pride and my father was the king. Even though I was the oldest, he favored my younger sister and wanted her to be queen. I was always a failure at everything while she was a natural born genius. When I was younger I was beaten a lot for being a failure. No one liked me all because I couldn't do anything right. One day I overheard my parents talking about me and I decided to listen. They were both planning to do away with me because the law states that the firstborn must become the next ruler no matter what. So I ran away…I found the Pride Lands and thought I had found the greatest place in the world. No one trusted me back in my old pride and when I saw you and after what you did…Right now you're in the same position as I was…I don't want you to suffer the same pain as I did"_

"_Zira…I'm sorry to hear about what happened to you but I am the youngest. Mufasa is the king…I can't change that" said Scar._

"_But you grew up surrounded by lies and false words. Your own brother didn't keep the promise he made you and now he's the king. I heard him laughing about you once…Saying terrible things about you and insulting you"_

"_B-But…He would never do that!"_

"_But what do you really know about him? You changed so much in matter of months…How do you know it can't happen to him? What if he's become someone unrecognizable?" _

"…_Mufasa…isn't like that…he just…he just isn't…" It was if Scar couldn't stop shaking his head to rid it of her words._

"_You can keep saying that but I know what I heard…"_

"_I…I don't know what to do"_

"_Do what you were born to do…Rule the Pride Lands, show them all who you truly are! Think about it…"_

_A few days passed on without incident. Scar though had been treating Mufasa coldly and started become much more sinister. Thus on Simba's presentation day, he didn't come. Every night Zira came to him and told more lies of his brother and how the kingdom could do so much better with him as king. Days became weeks and weeks became months and months finally turned into years._

_Rafiki looked out to the ravaged Pride Lands. He shook his head sadly and looked up to the sky. "Oh Mufasa…Things do not look very good over here. If only you were here right now"_

_He was about to go to sleep when he heard approaching footsteps. He turned and was surprised to see Scar there. But he didn't look angry, quite the contrary, he looked sad._

"_Rafiki…I need to speak to you" said Scar._

"_Before that, I must ask you a question" said Rafiki._

"_What's that?"_

"_Why don't you leave the Pride Lands and follow the herds? If you don't then you will starve"_

"…_I once asked my brother what was important to him…I wasn't sure what was truly important to me at the time…But one thing is for sure. I won't move because this is my home…I don't want to leave it"_

"_But everyone else will die"_

"…_I don't want them to die…Not Shenzi…Or Banzai…Or Ed…Or Sarabi…They're all important to me…I want to revive these lands. That's why I came here, I wanted to know if there was some way to bring back the grass and life" _

"…_Unfortunately there isn't one. Your father king Ahadi brought this drought upon us as your punishment. He is very angry about the death of his son although I do not know why"_

"…_I see…Then I guess there is only one way to make amends. I need to die"_

_Rafiki coughed in surprise. "You need to what!? Have you lost your mind, why do you want to throw your life away?"_

"_Bacause I killed Mufasa! I killed my own brother…" sobbed Scar. "I wanted him dead so that I could rule…It was selfish of me and now look at what I've done. I've destroyed these once beautiful lands…This world would be so much happier if I was gone"_

_Rafiki watched Scar cry for a few moments before sighing. "Scar…Follow me" said Rafiki as he led the king to a special area of his tree._

"_What's this?" asked Scar._

"_When I painted the portrait of king Mufasa he made a special request of me. He told me to paint this instead" said Rafiki as he revealed it. Unlike his other paintings, this one was more extravagant. Instead of blurry images of lions, there were full images of both Mufasa and Scar. No, not Scar, it was Taka. They both stood on top of Pride Rock and giving off mighty roars._

"_He wanted me to paint a giant mural. But it wasn't just me…He helped, as did queen Sarabi, your mother Uru, and Sarafina" said Rafiki._

"_They…They all painted this?" questioned Scar. He noticed an engraving in the corner. "What's that?"_

"_It's an engraving that says… 'Taka, the lion in our hearts'" read Rafiki._

_Scar stood there staring at the mural for a long time. He placed his paw over the image of his brother and the broke down crying. "What have I done?" he sobbed loudly._

"_What is it that you want exactly?" asked Rafiki._

"_I want to change the past! I want my brother back!"_

"_Scar…We cannot change the past but we can make the future"_

"_It won't be possible; I've lost the trust of everyone in the pride. And not just them, the hyenas too, I've treated them horribly. I can't make the future…Even if I were to die; there is no suitable heir to the throne. Oh if only Simba were still alive"_

"…_Simba is…"_

_It took a few minutes before the wordsthe shaman had spoken actually passed into the lion's head._ "_What? But how can that be?"_

"_I'm not sure myself…But when the time comes I will bring him back here. For the time being there are a few things you must do"_

"_No…I know what I must do. I have to get Zira and the rest of my followers to be away from the pride. And I must die to atone for my sins. But Simba won't be the one who does it, if he does then he'll just end up like me. The hyenas will kill me…"_

"_What? But they have been loyal to you for such a long time. Even if you have treated them horribly, they would never kill you"_

"_I know…That's why I must force them to hate me…Rafiki…I thank you for showing me this. But I must ask a favor of you. I want you to bring Nala back too. She ran away…And because of that I've realized my mistakes. I was able to see that what I was doing was making the ones I loved run away from me. Tomorrow I will tell Zira to go off on a hunt to far-off lands. I want you to find Nala and Simba by then. During this time I will make sure I treat everyone badly so that no one will feel pity for me when I die. I don't want them to pity me, not because I don't want it…But because I don't want to sadden them more than I already have" said Scar and with that he walked back towards Pride Rock._

_Rafiki smiled and looked up towards the sky. "It seems that your brother has finally started to think like a king"_

-X-

"I don't believe it…Scar…He…He died willingly?" said Kovu in shock.

"But he actually tried to kill dad! He told me that Scar held him over the edge of Pride Rock. Why would he do that?" asked Kiara.

"My guess would be to lift Simba's darkened heart. Simba believed that it was all his fault that Mufasa died and so…He told Simba he was the one who killed Mufasa knowing that Simba would get angry and push back" explained Rafiki.

"But didn't he plead for forgiveness…For Simba's mercy? Wasn't he trying to live?" asked Kovu.

"I'm going to guess that was a test to see if Simba was ready to be king. He wanted to see if Simba would choose to let him go or execute him on the spot. He was also probably fighting with all his might to make sure it didn't look like he wanted to die" said Rafiki.

"He did all of that…Just to make sure no one would be saddened by his death?" said Kiara. "It's just…so hard to believe. All this time I believed Scar was evil…"

"Scar was…Taka was not. In the end it was Taka that lived not Scar. However since a majority of his reign was as Scar, he did not qualify as a great king…Therefore…He is not spoken of in the leonine prophecy" said Rafiki.

"Then I guess him attacking Simba from behind was just a way to make sure he would die" said Kovu quietly. He was answered by Rafiki's nod.

"I'm going to tell father" said Kiara. She turned and was about to run for her father when Rafiki stopped her. "What?"

"I made one other promise to Taka that day…He told me to make sure Simba would never know the truth of that day. He'd rather have his own nephew hate him rather than have him pity him…He is a lion…He has pride…" said Rafiki.

"But I don't want father to live hating Scar…And pride is something I don't like. It's because of pride that made Zira die and the same thing happened to Scar. I know he didn't die because he didn't accept Simba's act of mercy but he was too prideful to tell everyone about who he really was…And I hate it" said Kiara.

"I understand what you are saying princess but listen carefully. Simba may hate Scar but he does not hate Taka. And what killed him in the end was not the same kind of pride that Zira had at the time of her death. What Taka had, was golden pride…Zira had black pride…" said Rafiki.

"What Scar-I mean Taka did was truly noble and I believe that if he ruled like that…He would've become one of the greatest kings alive. And I will make sure to keep his legacy alive. Zira said I would follow in Scar's footsteps…Well I'm not…I'll follow Taka's…Simba's…And all the other great kings. I will keep their legacies alive…Therefore…I will always keep Taka alive" promised Kovu.

"Oh Kovu" smiled Kiara as she nuzzled him.

"I won't let you or our cubs down" whispered Kovu lovingly.

"I know Kovu…"

Rafiki smiled and walked back to his tree. There was nothing left for him to do except wait and see what happens next.

-X-

"I remember doing this a lot that's for sure" smiled Kopa after finding a constellation of a lion.

"Glad to know you still remember your favorite activity" Vitani chuckled.

The two of them were lying in the grass looking up at the night sky. It was beautiful and relaxing. It was the perfect chance to just talk.

"It was always my favorite activity even after I lost my memory. Or maybe it was my favorite activity because subconsciously I always knew it was" chuckled Kopa.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask, what things you remember about me?" asked Vitani.

"Well let's see…You love to rest in the shade, you want to be the greatest huntress in the pride, you're a bit stubborn and hard to deal with sometimes, and your favorite color is orange, well…sunset orange" said Kopa.

"All true"

"Now tell me what you knew about me"

"Okay…You loved to jump in the water hole on hot days and swim around, you're very picky about what you eat, you didn't like baths or going to sleep, and your favorite color was blue, like the sky"

"All true except that last thing"

"Your favorite color isn't blue?"

"No it is…Just not like the sky…More like your eyes"

Vitani hid a small smile by turning away from him. "Thanks…"

"Hey love birds, mind if we join you?" asked a male lion's voice.

Both Kopa and Vitani looked up to see Afua and Sierra looking down on them. Sierra looked as if she was trying to keep herself from giggling while Afua just looked amused.

"How long have you two been there?" asked Vitani accusingly.

"Oh…Long enough…" giggled Sierra.

"Well…I guess the more the merrier" said Kopa.

Kopa and Vitani turned on their stomachs as the other two sat down in front of them.

"Kopa, these two were our cub hood friends, Sierra and Afua" introduced Vitani.

"Oh yeah, I think I remember you two" said Kopa.

"Good to know you haven't forgotten completely" smiled Afua.

"So…What are you two doing at this time of night?" asked Sierra with a suggestive smile.

"Just stargazing…Now stop looking at me like that!" laughed Vitani. "But Afua, I thought you were always with Jua, where is he?"

"Jua's been like a jerk lately so I sort of ditched him. So I plan on taking up Simba's offer of sleeping in the main den" said Afua.

"Jua being a jerk, hm…What else is new?" said Vitani.

"Come on 'Tani…Jua isn't all bad" said Sierra.

"Is this Jua guy someone I should know about?" asked Kopa.

"He's just a guy that used to hang out with us but I don't think it's a good idea to get to know him again…He's…He's a bit more different than how he used to be" said Afua.

"Oh…It's strange…I don't remember anything about Jua" said Kopa.

"Maybe he didn't leave as much an impression on you as the rest of us" said Vitani.

"Hey Kopa, what do you remember about me and Afua?" asked Sierra.

"Well…The memories are a bit vague but I'll try…Let's see…I know Afua was my best friend, he liked pretty much everything I liked except for the fact that he actually enjoyed sleeping. One other thing that was different was that he…" said Kopa but paused here. "Never mind!"

"Now hold on, you have to finish that sentence!" demanded Vitani but she had an amused smile.

"Yeah, come on, tell us!" added Sierra.

"He doesn't have to say anything" said Afua catching on to what Kopa was thinking.

"Oh come on, is it a secret?" asked Vitani.

"Sort of…" said Afua.

"But it was a secret from when you were a cub, it's not like it's still true" said Sierra. "Is it?"

"Pfft! Of course not…Go on and tell them Kopa" said Afua reluctantly.

"Okay…Afua had a crush on Sierra" said Kopa.

"Ooooooh" said Vitani.

"Aw, that's so cute you had a crush on me. But I'm already taken" smiled Sierra.

"Really? By who?" asked Afua.

"By Hasani" said Sierra.

"The same Hasani that came with me?" asked Kopa.

"No Kopa, the other Hasani in the Pride Lands" said Vitani sarcastically.

"Just trying to clarify"

"I've got to go" said Afua suddenly standing up.

"Afua?"

"I'll uh…See you guys later" said Afua. He turned and began making his way back towards Pride Rock.

Once he was gone, Vitani turned to Sierra. "I don't think it was an old secret"

"Oh man, I didn't mean to hurt the guy" said Sierra.

"Then go after him…Just tell him what you need to and just be sure to let him down gently" advised Kopa.

"…Thanks Kopa, I'll go do that" said Sierra as she chased after Afua.

"Wow…When we were cubs, you wouldn't know what to say in this kind of situation. You certainly have changed" smiled Vitani once Sierra was out of earshot.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Kopa smirked.

"I think it's a great thing" smiled Vitani. She licked his cheek affectionately before getting up. "I think I'll turn in…You coming?"

The lick caught him off guard and he was smiling like an idiot but he quickly snapped out of it. "Yeah…Right behind you"

"Oh, but promise me one thing" said Vitani.

"Sure"

"Just promise that we'll always be good friends"

"Heh…For you…Anything"

-X-

**I know it's still a bit early but I just wanted to get this up before Friday to get the word out about **_**iCarly's**_** finale. Plus I've had some free time on my hands lately. Anyway, I hope you guys watch the final episode if you're a fan. If not then why don't you check out some of the funny quotes from **_**iCarly**_** I wrote down on my profile? There are a lot and they're all at the end. Hope you find them funny. Here is my last tribute to **_**iCarly**_**. I will never forget the random dancing; baby Spencer, Sam's butter sock, Gibby's head, Carly's awesome room, the idiot farm girl, the insane fans (Talking about you Mandy and Nora), and especially…The loving moments. I love you all, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to review!**


	17. The Coming Storm

**I am afraid to inform all of you that after this chapter it might take a while before the next one is updated. This is because I only thought my story up to this point. Don't worry, the wait won't be long, I find inspiration pretty quick. I hope you all forgive me and don't forget to leave a review at the end. I deeply appreciate your understanding. Oh and one more thing, I am holding a funeral for **_**iCarly**_**. That's right, I'm still grieving. Hope you like this chapter!**

**Oh, to Littletiger: It's a little bit of both; Vitani doesn't really hate the word. She just kind of finds it annoying. And of course she was just kidding with the whole eating part. What kind of a lioness do you think she is? Hakuna Matata right back at ya!**

**WARNING: This chapter includes a character death, friends getting farther apart, and a prince questioning his past. This may also cause crying, anger, suffocation, nausea, trauma, explosive diarrhea, spontaneously combusting, and breaking out into a song by Lady Gaga. Please do not sue the writer if you experience any of these symptoms.**

-X-

Max continued his long dig. If he was younger and if the underground was stuffed with grubs, he might've made it to the Pride Lands a lot earlier. But unfortunately, his old bones just weren't cut out for digging like the old days. He had to pause more than once.

He stopped once more and breathed heavily. He puffed out a breath of air and leaned his back on the wall of the tunnel. He felt a shift in the dirt but ignored. Of course, he couldn't ignore it for very long when the wall collapsed on itself.

"Gyah!" he exclaimed as he fell into a mole den.

"Hey, chief, check it out!" shouted one of the moles.

Max quickly sat up. Knowing that moles weren't predators he knew it was safe but he still had to be cautious. It was his first time seeing these animals in the first place especially so close in proximity.

"What's this? Smells like a meerkat" said a large and old mole. Most likely it was the one they called chief.

'_Smells? That's right, moles are blind.' _"Um, yes, I am a meerkat. I'm terribly sorry for barging in on you like this. I was just on my way to the Pride Lands to speak to the king" said Max as he turned around.

"The Pride Lands? Well look no further, you're here!" said the mole that had spoken first.

"I am? Well, then I guess I'll just tunnel upwards…Actually could you tell me which direction is Pride Rock? I'd rather go up when I'm already there" said Max.

"Ha ha, just like a meerkat, fearing the surface. Well please allow Chane to lead you up there. He's one of the king's loyal assistants" offered the chief.

"Chane is currently sleeping, today is his day off. I can escort him" suggested another mole.

"Ah yes, Ashon, please do" said the chief.

"Thank you so much for this. I am very grateful" thanked Max.

"Think nothing of it…Just follow me" said Ashon.

Ashon began burrowing his way through the solid dirt. Max followed close behind since the tunnels were dark and it was difficult to see with his aged eyes. Thankfully, it was one direction so he didn't bump into anything.

Soon enough Ashon began to burrow upwards and then light began to filter into the tunnels. They were soon flooded with light from the shining moon and Max could tell it was rather beautiful.

"The Pride Lands look so different since the last time I was here" commented Max.

"You were here once before?" inquired Ashon.

"Oh yes, once…But that was a long time ago. The last time I was here everything was destroyed, darkened…lifeless."

"Ah, you must've been here during Scar's rule. Yes it was a terrible life for all of us. Thankfully King Simba took back the kingdom and now we have an amazing prince who will one day take over."

"Yes, my great nephew sent a messenger to tell us about prince Kovu. I haven't met him but I hear he will make a great king one day."

"I did not mean Kovu…I meant the king's son, Kopa."

"Oh, you didn't hear of Kopa's death years ago?"

"He was _believed_ to be dead. But recently he has returned but not one animal in the Pride Lands is allowed to speak of his return, at least not in front of the prince himself. By the way, what business do you have with the king?"

"That's right! I just have to warn him of possible hostile lions here. Nothing bad ever happened from being a little cautious."

"True…Too bad you couldn't keep up with those rules."

"What do you mean?"

Max turned around to see that he was completely alone. He turned back around and saw Pride rock in the distance and he tried to stay calm. Even though he was trying to, he couldn't help shaking. It wasn't from the cold; it felt much more ominous than that.

"Hello? Is anybody there? Hello? Ashon?" called Max into the darkness.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you not to come onto foreign territory alone?" asked a malicious voice from ahead.

Max turned right back around and gasped. He fell backwards and fell onto his rear. Right in front of him stood a smiling lion with eyes full of bloodlust. There were three horrible scars on the side of his cheeks.

"Wh-who are you?" gasped out Max. "And what did you do to Ashon?"

"Ashon happens to be a friend of mine…Better say your prayers because this will be the last time you ever see the ground" growled the lion.

'_Looks like I failed…again. But I guess I'll soon be joining you Buzz…But I don't plan on dying like a coward…' _"Go ahead and do your worst…I won't run nor will I die a coward…" said Max confidently.

"You got guts old man…Too bad they won't save you."

The lion grinned evilly and pounced. Almost silently…Max's body lay completely limp and lifeless in his jaws. "Hm…Not even a scream…This one's a brave one" commented Ashon, coming out of the darkness.

"No…He wasn't being brave…He just accepted his fate and faced it with full acceptance. Heh…The fool" smirked the lion.

"Your name completely contradicts who you are" pointed out Ashon.

"Then I will no longer be called Jua…I will be called Thimba."

"Thimba means lion hunter."

"I know that you imbecile…But the only lions I'll be hunting will be those Outsiders" The lion formerly known as Jua began to laugh sinisterly. He left a large scratch on a nearby tree and walked back towards Pride Rock. "Better get my rest...I'll make sure to tell our master of our accomplishment today."

"Seems like a small one but I guess it does save us from having him be interrogated by the king."

"Simba's no king…To me he's completely pathetic…Now go back into your hole."

"Yes sir!"

Ashon dug his way back underground while Thimba looked around the area. He walked a short distance away from Pride Rock and watched as Vitani and Kopa laughed together. He scoffed and began to walk back towards Pride Rock. "You won't be laughing soon" muttered Thimba. "Vitani…"

-X-

"Afua, wait, hold on!" called Sierra as she bounded right in front of him.

"Sierra…Look I'm really tired…Just forget what Kopa said…" said Afua.

"How can I forget something like that? You know me, the lioness born with an elephant's memory" smiled Sierra. "And an elephant never forgets" they both finished together.

"And come on, just because I'm with Hasani doesn't mean I'll forget about you. When Vitani and Kopa were gone from my life I wanted to end it. But being with you made me love life once more. We were the best of friends then and I want that to remain the same" said Sierra as she walked up to him and nuzzled him affectionately. "Besides, I did fall for you at the time…It's just…I didn't want to lose you as a friend…"

"Thank you Sierra…When Kopa was gone I guess you did fill up that empty space. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to move on from you though…" muttered Afua.

"Oh come on Afua. A lion like _you_ not get a girl? That would definitely surprise me. There are a lot of other lionesses in the Pride Lands that could make potential mates for you."

"But none of them are like you…"

"…Afua…Sometimes you just have to let the ones you love go…They need to be free."

"That sounds like the kind of talk a child gives to their parent when they want to show them that they're an adult themselves."

"I admit I overheard Kiara telling this to Simba and Nala once. But it's also true."

"Yeah I know…I used this same speech on my parents."

The two of them laughed at the memory of themselves convincing their parents to let them do what they wanted. Sometimes it's a bad thing to go back too much, but other times it was nice to get a chance to look back.

"Memories like these are nice. You see, even if Hasani has my heart…He doesn't have _our_ memories" said Sierra.

"I guess our bond_ is_ special" Afua chuckled. "I just wish I was the one who owned your heart."

"You may not have my heart the same way Hasani does but you do own it in another way. And believe me, it's a lot more than special" smiled Sierra.

"So what are you love birds doing out here at this time at night?" asked Vitani with a smile as she and Kopa walked over to them.

"Hey that's my thing" smiled Sierra.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist" grinned Vitani.

"Come on, it's getting kind of cold, why don't we turn in?" suggested Kopa.

"Don't have to tell me twice" Afua chuckled.

"Now this feels right" commented Kopa.

"What feels right?" asked the other three.

"Being here with you guys…What else?" smiled Kopa. "Race you back to Pride Rock!" He shot off straight for the kopje in the distance. The other three laughed with him as they chased after him.

-X-

A couple of days have passed since that night and things seemed to be pretty uneventful for the time being. At the moment, not many of Kopa's memories have resurfaced except for the ones involving his friends and Nala. The sun rose above the horizon and the animals of this great land were starting to awaken from their deep slumber. As usual, Simba and Kovu woke up just before the sun rose and watched it together. Afterwards they both went off to patrol the borders.

"Where are those two going?" asked Kopa to Tamina on top of his head.

"I don't know, maybe they like watching the sunrise as much as we do. Anyway, I'm off to see Timon" said Tamina, jumping down.

"Wait, you're off to see him again?" asked Kopa.

"What wrong about that?" asked Tamina, stopping in her tracks.

"It's just for these past few days you keep going off to see him. I feel like I never get the chance to hang out with you anymore. Like we're not even friends anymore."

"Oh like you haven't found new playmates!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on! Ever since we got here you've only hung out with that Vidami and her friends!"

"Her name is Vitani. And besides, I do hang out with you. My memories just take a little bit more priority."

"Gee thanks, when you put it that way it makes it all that much better"

"No, 'Tani, I didn't mean it that way"

"Tani!? It's Tammy! You're even getting us confused! Some friend you are!"

"No! Look I'm sorry! I'm just really tired."

"Well then maybe you shouldn't be having so many midnight trysts with your lovely 'Tani instead of sleeping in the den like a good little cub."

"Why are you calling me a cub? I'm practically an adult! If anything you're being like a cub with this immature attitude of yours!"

"Don't you talk back at me with that tone young man!"

"Oh so now you're my mother?"

"Well you haven't met your real one yet have you? I don't even know why we're even here anymore."

"For your information I think I already have and she's a much better guardian than you ever were."

"Well then how did you end up in my care? Some mother, she let you get all scratched up and then you get thrown off a cliff. Sounds like the happiest family in the whole entire world."

They both remained silent for a long time. They were just looking at each other angrily. Kopa's eyes softened a little and he turned his back to her. Tamina was confused and loosened a little.

"…Well if you hate it here so much then why don't you just leave?" asked Kopa.

"…Maybe I will…" said Tamina quietly. "…I guess…I'll miss you then…"

"…Yeah…Me too"

Tamina slowly walked away from him. She felt her eyes starting to fill up with tears. She wiped them away with her arm. She knew that Kopa would stay here, she just thought she would be with him. Looks like that won't happen.

"What was all that yelling about?" yawned Hasani coming out of the den. "And where's your little friend going?"

"She plans on going home…And I don't plan on stopping her" replied Kopa.

"Oh…I see…Well I guess it's your own choice. I'm going to talk to the shaman of this place" said Hasani.

"The shaman? Why are you going to see her?"

"Well she is a he first of all. And second, I always wanted to be like a shaman so I'm going to learn from one of the best. From what I hear, this Rafiki was taught by the best shaman in all of history, Hondari the Brave. I've been going to him almost every day and today's just another one of those days."

"I see…Well good luck with that."

"Thanks, see you when I get back."

Kopa gave him a weak smile as he watched Hasani run off. His smile dropped once he was gone. He looked over at the scars on his side and sighed. He walked towards Pride Rock, determined to find out what had happened to him.

-X-

"You're leaving?" questioned Timon in shock. "But why?"

"Kopa doesn't need me here anymore…We got into a fight earlier and now…Well I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to do now. All I know is that he doesn't want me around" said Tamina. "Could you please watch over him? And maybe send that majordomo to the Western pride so that we can keep in touch?"

"Why don't you just stay at the oasis? It's not that far from here and I live there. We can still be together" suggested Timon.

"Thanks Timon…But being so close to here…It would just hurt too much, I'm sorry but I have to go back."

"I understand…I won't stop you but could you at least stay for a little longer?"

"I don't know…"

"Just until tonight, we can depart tonight…I was planning on visiting anyway."

Tamina smiled. "Alright…I'll stay but we better leave tonight. The sooner the better…And I'll visit…And maybe one day you could visit me at the Western kingdom."

"I wouldn't have it any other way" smiled Timon.

"Oh, don't the two of you just look so adorable together!" squealed Ma from the entrance of the den.

"Ma! It's not like that!" stuttered Timon.

"Yeah, we're just friends and besides I'm going back soon anyway" said Tamina shyly.

"Why don't we go to one of my favorite places for grub hunting?" offered Timon.

"Sure" said Tamina.

"That doesn't sound like the best idea" said Pumbaa slowly walking out of the den. "There's a really bad storm coming."

"That's not possible. It's the middle of the dry season and there's not a cloud in sight" said Tamina.

"…Come on Tammy, we should go inside" urged Timon.

"What, you can't really believe there's a storm coming right?" asked Tamina.

"Honey, this may sound strange but Pumbaa can predict the weather very well. His stomach always churns badly when he predicts bad weather" stated Ma.

"And this is really bad one. We should get Simba and Kovu and tell them" said Pumbaa.

"I'm coming with you. Tammy, you need to stay inside" said Timon.

"Tamina, can stay out if she wants to. The storm won't be coming until a little after the midday but its best we get to them now. By now they're probably at the western border, the farthest away from here" said Pumbaa.

"Hold on, I'm coming with you guys. I don't believe in such fortunetelling mumbo jumbo but I'm not going to be left out of any action. Besides, it'll give me a chance to get to know you a little bit better Pumbaa" said Tamina.

"I'm flattered, but we better hurry" said Pumbaa. "Climb on."

"Don't talk to any strangers and be careful of any wandering rogue predators!" called Ma as The two younger meerkats climbed onto the warthog. "We will!" assured Timon as Pumbaa ran off.

Ma turned back around and looked over at the stone table they used when dining. She looked at the stone bowls they used to eat, Pumbaa carved them out himself and they were much more useful than leaf bowls. She wasn't quite sure how Pumbaa did it but she knew he was very talented. She reached for one of the bowls but then it suddenly cracked right before she touched it.

"…This is not a good sign…" whispered Ma. She turned around to face the outside of the den and entwined her fingers. "Oh, please come back safely."

-X-

Kovu yawned loudly as they passed by the southern border.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" asked Simba with an arched eyebrow.

"Of course…I've just been worrying myself a bit too much over…You know" said Kovu.

"Yeah, it's a lot of stress thinking about your future cub or cubs in your case" chuckled Simba. "I remember I was just like you when Nala and I were expecting Kopa and then the same with Kiara. It doesn't get much easier knowing that I'll be a grandfather."

"Well how were you able to deal with it?" asked Kovu.

"I didn't…I just did the same thing as you are doing. I lost sleep and kept thinking about it. I'm still thinking about your cubs. I mean, while you're off on king duties I'll be the one who watches over them" said Simba. "But I also feel this is a chance for me to do things right. I feel as if I made so many mistakes raising Kopa and Kiara that this feels like another chance."

"I see…By the way, how's Kopa doing with his memories?" asked Kovu.

"According to your sister, he remembers most of everything except me" Simba sighed sadly. "I think it's because of the lack of time we spend together. But with everything that's been going on…"

Kovu gave his father-in-law a sympathetic look. He sighed. "Simba…Allow me to take care of everything today. You go talk to Kopa, catch up…You deserve it."

"But…The kingdom comes before my family."

"That's not how I see it. To me, family isn't selfish reasons, it's just priority. Yes, the kingdom is very important to you as a king but family is more important to you as a lion. And besides, it'll give me chance to experience some of this king stuff on my own."

"…Thank you Kovu…I am truly happy that you will be the one who will take my place when I'm gone."

"But what about Kopa, it's his rightful place, not mine."

"I'm afraid I might have to bend the rules a bit. I don't know if he's ready but I know you are."

"You could always re-teach him, and I can always help."

"Is this some way of trying to get out of responsibility?"

"Part of it….But the other part is that I feel like I'm taking everything away from Kopa. His birthright…His family…I feel as if I owe him."

"I see…Well there's nothing to worry about…Our family is big enough for the both of you."

They smiled at each other and then turned their backs on each other. The two in-laws were just about to part ways when Simba stopped Kovu.

"What's wrong Simba?" asked Kovu.

"Look, its Timon and Pumbaa. It looks like it might be urgent" said Simba pointing out his foster parents.

"What could it be?" asked Kovu.

"I'm not sure…But I have a bad feeling about this" said Simba.

-X-

Rafiki was just about to leave his dwelling when Hasani showed up. Right before Hasani got the chance to say anything, Rafiki held up a hand. Hasani was confused but upon seeing the old mandrill's serious expression, he knew that it was best not to question him.

"Rafiki, what's wrong? Did something happen?" asked Hasani.

"Something bad happened a few days ago but I wasn't sure what. All I know is that all of the negative energy since then has gathered up to this day. The spirits are very angry and a very bad storm is coming" said Rafiki.

"A storm at this time of year? I know it's not in my place to question your predictions as you are one of the best but are you sure you're not wrong? I mean, it is the dry season after all" said Hasani.

"When the spirits are angered the weather can be changed. The natural order of all lofe can be changed. We've seen that happened when there was a drought that lasted for years during Scar's reign."

"That's true…But what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to the pride to warn them. Actually Hasani, if you could, can you find Simba and Kovu? I think they're off on a patrol so they won't be at Pride Rock. Could you bring them back?"

"Of course."

With that done Hasani ran off in the direction of the western border. Once he was out of sight, Rafiki sighed and looked towards Pride Rock. "Something bad will happen today and it won't be good. Oh Mufasa…Why can't these lands ever be peaceful?" said Rafiki quietly.

-X-

**That's it for now. While all of you are waiting I will be fixing any mistakes I have done in previous chapters. And I am very sad with the response to this story. I mean, I'm okay with guest reviews but it would be nice to see the number of my reviews go up from reviews from people with accounts. I'd like some more reviews but I won't force you. But if you don't have anything to say, try answering these questions.**

**Who is your favorite character and why? Least favorite?**

**What is your favorite chapter?**

**Do you think Taka/Scar's back story is believable? **

**That's pretty much it, so I'll see you all next time!**


	18. Head Full of Lies

**I'm finally back! So I just want to tell all my readers that have been with me since the beginning that I have fixed any mistakes in the first few chapters. Check the summaries to see which ones. You don't have to reread them because there weren't any major changes except for Uru being the daughter of Mohatu. Like I said in a previous chapter, I did not know that originally, but now I do. So that is fixed. You're welcome. I also thank all of you who reviewed and read this story. I really appreciate your support.**

**One last thing, I got a review saying that this story should be a lot longer. Don't worry about it, this is going to be a five part series. Trust me; it's going to be long enough. Check out my profile to see the titles of them. It's somewhere in the middle or something like that but it won't take a lot of scrolling. **

**Hope you guys think it was worth the wait when you read this chapter. It's finally time, the big reveal! **

-X-

"Vitani, why are you here? Shouldn't you be with the other lionesses on the hunt?" asked Kiara when she noticed her sister-in-law coming towards her.

"Well, you know your worry wart of a mate Kovu. He asked me to watch over you while he was out on patrol" said Vitani.

"You don't have to do that. Besides, I'm not a cub anymore, I don't need a babysitter. I'm pregnant, not on the verge of death" said Kiara.

"I know but I didn't want to argue with him plus I could really use a break from those hunts" smiled Vitani.

"Ah, so this is just an excuse to get out of work."

"Pretty much, I haven't been able to catch much sleep lately."

"Well then you shouldn't be going out every night with my brother."

"Should you be saying that to me, or should I be the one saying that to you?"

"That's a good point."

"So I was right…I'm the prince" said a soft voice near the entrance of the den.

Vitani stood up but not on guard since she knew who the voice belonged to immediately. "K-Kopa? What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask you guys something. But I guess I already know the answer" said Kopa quietly.

"Kopa…Look you don't understand. We had a very good reason for not telling you" tried Vitani.

"Save it, what I really want to know is what happened to me? What happened to me that put me into Tamina's care?" asked the young prince.

Kiara opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she noticed Vitani's scared expression. She was confused at first but then realized the reason for it. "That's not really in my place to tell you" said Kiara apologetically.

"Why not? Is there something you're keeping from me? Did the king have something to do with it?" asked Kopa, adding venom to the word 'king' as if it was poisonous to say.

"Kopa! The king is your father and you know that now. Just call him that" said Vitani.

"Why should I? Since coming here he's been too busy to spend any time with me! What kind of a father does that?!" exclaimed Kopa angrily.

"It's not his fault, he's just very busy" tried Kiara.

"Yeah, I know, the kingdom comes before family. Well I think it's stupid!"

"Father never put the kingdom before us. I should know, he's spent my whole life trying to protect me from dangers I didn't even know existed."

"What, so you wouldn't have to end up like me? Like some sort of failure that they had to get rid of?"

"How can you say that? Dad would never-."

"I think I've heard enough."

Kopa turned around and walked out of the den in anger.

"No, Kopa!" called Vitani as she ran in front of him. "Please just listen!"

Kiara gasped in shock at what had happened next. Kopa swung his arm and hit Vitani across the face. Her sister-in-law flew to the side of the den and collapsed there. Vitani slowly stood up with tears in her eyes as she reached a paw to touch the spot where he had hit her.

Kopa's eyes widened in shock and fear as the realization of what he had done hit him, usually he kept his anger under control but this time, he didn't know what had happened, he just reacted. "Vitani…"

"Stay away from her!" roared Kovu as he ran into the den. He stopped right in between them. "Don't come near her."

"Kovu…" Vitani whispered weakly.

Kiara ran over to her and tried to help her up as her father entered the den. Simba looked from the fearful looks of the lionesses, the furious expression of his son-in-law, and the guilty look on his son's face.

"Kopa, what happened?" asked Simba.

Kopa turned to his father as if noticing his presence for the first time. His expression changed from one of guilt into one of rage. "Why don't you ask them?" growled Kopa as he ran straight out of the den.

"Kopa wait!" shouted Simba. But it was too late, Kopa had run very far from them now. Chances were, he might not come back. The king slowly turned to the younger lions still inside the den. "What happened in here?"

"Kopa, he came in here. It was just a big misunderstanding" stuttered Kiara.

"He hit Vitani" said Kovu slowly. He walked over to his sister who was now crying into her paws. "It'll be fine Vitani…"

"No it won't…He trusted me…And I couldn't even tell him the truth about mother. What she had done to him" Vitani cried.

"He…He hurt you?" questioned a soft voice outside the den.

The lions turned to see Tamina, Timon, and Pumbaa watching them. Clearly they had saw and heard everything that had happened.

"Tamina…I'm fine really" sniffed the dark lioness.

"No, I'm sorry…Some of that rage might be because of me. And I shouldn't have waited so long to bring back Kopa. The day I found him I should've looked for a way to bring him back home. But instead I was selfish and wanted a travelling partner" said Tamina.

"…You weren't selfish…You were just lonely. It's something everyone feels from time to time" said Timon.

"I think we all have" said Simba. "I'm going to go find him."

"I'm going too" resolved Tamina.

"Don't forget about me" added Timon.

"Are we forgetting the storm?" reminded Pumbaa.

"He's right, all of you stay here. I'm going to go find him and bring him back. You guys just stay and warn the others about the storm" ordered Simba.

"Be careful out there daddy" said Kiara as she nuzzled her father.

"Please bring him back your majesty. I don't know what would happen to me if I lost him again" sobbed Vitani.

"Don't worry, I will" reassured Simba as he ran off into the direction of his son.

"Let's hope he comes back before the storm" said Timon grimly once he was gone.

-X-

Kopa finally stopped running when he was out of breath. He could see that there was a slight drizzle from under the shade of the acacia tree where he took shelter. He looked up to see storm clouds gathering. He could tell that it was going to be a strong storm.

"You must've been running for hours because this is quite a distance from Pride Rock" commented a voice from the shadows.

Kopa turned ready to defend himself but relaxed when he was able to recognize the silhouette easily. "Hasani, what are you doing here, I thought you went off to see the shaman."

"I did, but then he told me that there was this big storm coming and that I should look for the king and the prince. I couldn't find them and I was about to run back when I accidentally cut my ankle, so now I'm just resting here for a bit" chuckled Hasani. "Pretty stupid of me, huh."

"Not as stupid as hurting someone you liked" muttered Kopa as he sat down.

"What's up? You look kind of down. You still upset about that fight you had with Tamina this morning?" asked Hasani.

"No, it's not that. It's just; I wanted to find out what happened to me that got me these ugly scars. But they refused to tell me and I don't know, something in me just snapped" said Kopa quietly.

Hasani was suddenly eerily quiet and it scared Kopa a little. "I'm sorry to hear that" said Hasani stiffly.

"Why is everyone keeping secrets from me?" scoffed Kopa.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, I can tell there's something you're keeping from me. You were just so quiet a little bit earlier so I know you know something that I don't."

"You're a lot smarter than you look young prince."

"You knew?!" shouted Kopa standing upright.

"Please don't be angry with me. It was not my decision to keep it from you" said Hasani softly.

Kopa began pacing back and forth for a few seconds before coming up with some sort of resolve and turning back to the older lion. "What exactly do you mean when you say it wasn't your decision not to tell me?" asked Kopa.

"Well, when you said your name was Kopa I just had my suspicions that you were the lost princeof the Pride Lands. But when we arrived to Pride Rock and your parents didn't do anything, well you know. I went to ask them why they didn't have a more enthusiastic reaction" started Hasani.

"And what did they say?" asked Kopa.

"They never answered because I never asked."

"But you just said-!"

"When I went to go ask them but I never did, it was because I overheard your parents talking…"

-X-

_Hasani walked into the cave with full intentions on figuring out the reason for why the king and queen didn't rejoice in happiness when they saw their long lost son. He was about to turn the corner and walk right in on them when he heard them talking._

"_What do we do Simba? Even if you are king, you cannot defy the law that dictates that the firstborn must become ruler when the time comes" said the worried voice of Nala._

"_There's nothing to worry about Nala. We just need to fake another 'accident'" replied the voice of Simba._

"_But there were so many suspicious lionesses last time. What if they find out this time?" asked Nala._

"_We'll just do the same thing as we did last time. Blame them for the murder and banish them" said Simba._

"_But we were able to establish an alibi then. Everyone knew Zira disliked you so it was only natural for the lionesses to turn on her and her followers. And it's not like we could banish them again, not while Kovu's the heir." _

"_I know, but don't worry. This time, no one will find out."_

"_How do you know that?"_

"_We just need to have someone to gain his trust. Someone that was once very close to him. This way he won't remember what we had done to him."_

"_Alright, but who can we get to do that? Kiara wasn't even born then, and I don't think Sierra or Afua would be willing to go through that again. They did their parts when they were younger but I don't think they liked it."_

"_It's alright. I already asked Vitani and she said she would do it."_

"_But she was one of the banished. Why would she agree to this?"_

"_She wanted to prove her loyalty to me. Ha! She honestly believes it was her mother that had attempted to kill him!"_

"_What about Kovu and Kiara, do they know about this plan?"_

"_Unlike Vitani, they're in on it. And they agreed not to tell anyone about it. Kovu is the heir to the throne and I know that for certain. To me, Kopa never existed."_

_Hasani stood there in complete shock. He never imagined a family killing off one of their own. Ha was about to run out and tell Kopa when he accidentally stepped on a twig. It snapped and attracted the attention of the king and queen._

"_Who's there?" shouted Simba._

_Hasani broke off at top speed towards the den he, Kopa, and Tamina were assigned. He knew if he wanted to warn them, he would have to be quick and evasive._

_Unfortunately, that wasn't enough; Simba caught up quick and pinned the younger lion down._ _Hasani struggled for a bit but stopped when Simba pressed a paw onto his windpipe, ready to crush it beneath his weight. He felt his heartbeat quicken._

"_If you value your life then you will forget everything you heard. Or else it will be the end of you and the rest of King Kanu's pride. I will make sure I find your family, and destroy them" growled Simba maliciously._

_Hasani lied there, wide eyed at the king. He had never felt this much fear before. "I-I won't tell your son anything. Just please let me go."_

_Simba smiled cruelly as he took his paw off of him. "That's a good little kitty. Now run back and don't say a word or else it will be the end of you."_

-X-

Kopa was completely silent as he stared at his companion. The entire thing came as a total shock. Even though he suspected his theory to be true, having it confirmed by someone else just made it that much more real.

"I'm sorry, Kopa, I wanted to tell you but…I-I just couldn't. I'm so ashamed, I was so scared and weak and pathetic" said Hasani, looking down in shame.

"No Hasani, you were only protecting your family. I can't blame you for such a thing. But to think they could drag Vitani into their sick plot. But what I really can't believe is that she actually agreed to do it…Wait, if you knew that Sierra was part of the plot from years ago, then why did you become her lover?" asked Kopa.

"I'm not proud of it but I needed someone to show me around so I could familiarize myself with the area. I needed to know more if I was going to help you. I was hoping to find some private spot so I could tell you what your father was planning" explained Hasani.

"Well I appreciate your efforts…I'm going back and I'm going to overthrow the king" resolved the prince.

"How? He's got his entire pride with him, you can't do it alone. And I'm not so sure about joining you in this suicide attempt" pointed out Hasani.

"I'll issue a challenge, between him and me only. King Malka once told me that if a lion were to challenge a king from one of the four great kingdoms then you can rule if you win. I will win, and I'll take over the throne like I was supposed to" said Kopa.

"What if he refuses to accept?"

"It is by common law among the kingdoms to accept. They may be king but they cannot deny a lion their own rights."

"…I respect your decision prince Kopa. And I will assist in any way I can. But I must warn you, after this, I plan on returning home."

"I understand, I thank you Hasani for being my only true friend here."

"Of course, just remember Kopa, there is no lion in the Pride Lands you can trust. You can only trust those who are not from here. You can only trust me."

-X-

The rain was now coming down a lot harder than it was earlier. It actually hurt to stand outside because the droplets just pelted right through fur, skin, or feathers. It wasn't very pleasant.

"Okay, so that fortunetelling mumbo jumbo was true" muttered Tamina and then said in her normal tone. "I sure hope Sim-I mean Kopa, is okay out there."

"Don't worry about it. He's a grown lion; he can take care of himself. And if I know one thing about family, it's that they will always be reunited if the separate" smiled Timon.

"But how can you be sure?" asked Tamina worriedly.

"We've seen it happen way too many times" said Pumbaa.

Timon nodded in agreement. "Kopa and you have a really tight bond, there's absolutely no need to worry."

"But we aren't family" reminded Tamina.

"Family doesn't have to mean blood relation. Family can just be a mutual and unconditional love you have for one another. That's how it is with me and Kovu. We aren't related by blood but we feel as if we're family" smiled Kiara.

"We found each other when we were separated, and I know that the same will happen with Kopa and you" added Kovu.

"It also happened with me and Simba. For years I believed he was dead but I found him again" said Nala.

"If there is love, there will be a way" said Pumbaa.

Rafiki, who had showed up a couple of minutes earlier, watched the exchange between them all. But he left his stare on Pumbaa the longest.

"Pumbaa is absolutely correct. Where there is love, there is always a way. Kopa will return but something about this storm tells me that it may not be such a good thing" said Rafiki.

"What do you mean? How can it be a bad thing that Kopa returns?" asked Tamina.

"I don't know" Rafiki sighed.

"Oh great, more craziness, I don't know how much more of this my mind can take" moaned Tamina.

Kovu looked around the den and saw Vitani lying down in a corner, not saying a word to anyone. She seemed so depressed and lonely.

"Hey, you okay 'Tani?" asked Kovu gently. "…A hit like that can't possibly affect you that bad"

"It didn't…At least not physically but this emotional turmoil I'm feeling…I feel as if I'm being torn apart from the inside" said Vitani quietly.

Kovu sighed knowing that it would be difficult to get his sister out of this state of sadness. "I can't tell you the truth because I don't know what it is at the moment. But just know that things will turn out alright. I mean, no matter what challenges we faced, we always came out fine. And if they don't, at least we were together till the very end."

Vitani chuckled very lightly. "Thanks Kovu…It wasn't very reassuring but I appreciate you trying."

"Come on 'Tani. The three of us promised to be together forever. Those paw prints are still there you know" smiled Sierra. "And if they're still up there then I know that promise won't ever be broken."

"I have no idea what you're talking about but Sierra's right. Kopa would never go as far as trying to kill us off. We know him much better than that" said Afua. "And since we know him so much, we know that he will never let us down. He never has."

"Thanks you guys, I appreciate your concern. I think I'm better now" smiled Vitani weakly as she stood up.

Suddenly, Tamina jerked upright and looked through the pouring rain. She saw the silhouette of a lion in the distance. "It's Kopa! I see Kopa!" shouted Tamina excitedly.

Everyone immediately turned to look in the direction she was pointing at. Tamin's excitement faded away when it turned out to be Simba. When everyone else noticed his saddened expression, they knew he wasn't able to find Kopa.

"I couldn't find him! I lost him again!" sobbed Simba as he collapsed in front of them.

"…Simba…It's okay, it'll be okay…" soothed Nala even though tears were trailing down her cheeks as well. Her voice was shaking and she was barely able to contain herself.

"Wait, look there!" said Kovu suddenly as he pointed to the horizon.

The rain was finally lightening up and they were able to walk out onto the top of Pride Rock without getting bruised by water although it was a little slippery. They looked out into the distance and saw Kopa and Hasani walking towards them. It was still raining very hard but at least things were visible now.

"It's them, they're here!" exclaimed Tamina excitedly.

"Oh thank the heavens! They're back!" cried out Nala.

While everyone was talking excitedly and happily, Rafiki stood in the background watching them. Something was off, he just knew it. He watched as everyone walked down the steps of Pride Rock to meet the two lions.

His attention was caught by a voice that still remained on Pride Rock. The only other being other than him that was still up there.

"Hasani is the true evil…" whispered Pumbaa.

Rafiki stared at the warthog for the longest time, completely speechless. He then turned back to the two returning lions and heard a voice. The voice did not belong to either of the two creatures that stood atop Pride Rock.

"Please stop him" whispered the voice of Max, Timon's great uncle.

-X-

**Hope you guys liked this chapter and I hope you all enjoyed the twists and turns it took to get up to here. It really did take a lot of thought. I hope some of you recognized Hasani's last line. I just realized that it wasn't that long of a wait for this chapter to be updated. Well, it's finally here and I hope you all stay tuned to see the next chapter which will hopefully be coming soon. **


	19. The Challenge

**Hey, here is the newest chapter hope you all like it. But before that, I must say that I was pretty surprised to see the mixed reaction from some of you after finding out Hasani was evil. Apparently, some of you knew he was it and others were completely caught off guard by the revelation. I wasn't expecting people to figure it out; I tried to conceal it as much as I could with the only hint being the missing meerkats from the oasis. Well, you will soon find out why Hasani is doing all of this. I have a few questions to answer.**

**To Littletiger – This chapter is dedicated to you. Hope your hand gets better! What happened to it anyway? The answer to your first question will be answered very soon. As for the second question, I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say Rafiki heard Max's voice from Kopa and Hasani. Fact is, being a shaman, Rafiki communicates with the dead. Just to be clear, Max is definitely dead.**

**To Blacklion – Sorry but your theory is wrong. Originally I **_**was**_** going to make it Hasani who spoke to him but I decided instead to let it be some other creature, and ally of Hasani. That person was the mole, Ashon. Since in the chapter where the creature spoke to Jua I said that the animal was too light to be a lion. But it was a totally reasonable guess.**

**Now on to the story! (Leave a review)**

-X-

Rafiki and Pumbaa walked down the steps of Pride Rock and stood near the back of the crowd. They watched as the silhouettes of the two lions in the distance get closer. Ma soon joined them and scurried all the way to the front where Timon and Tamina were.

"Timmy, what's going on? Why is the whole pride out here?" asked the elderly meerkat.

"Well, earlier Kopa had run off but now he's back" said Timon, cutting a long story into a few choice words.

Pumbaa pushed his way through so that he was next to his best friend. "With Hasani too" said the warthog.

"Oh yeah there's him too. Isn't it great Pumbaa? Kopa's going to learn the full truth about his past. Then our family can finally be complete!" smiled Timon.

"If things turn out alright" muttered Pumbaa.

Soon enough, Kopa and Hasani had finally reached the pride. But their emotions were completely unreadable. It was like their faces had turned to stone.

"Kopa, I'm so happy you've come back to us!" said Nala, teary-eyed.

The rest of the pride murmured in agreement. Even with all of their smiling faces, they were only greeted by the placid expressions of the other two lions.

"I thank you all for your hospitality while I've been here but I think it's time a repay a long overdue debt to my father" said Kopa in a quiet voice.

"Kopa, what's wrong, you don't sound like yourself" said Tamina worriedly.

"Hasani, you haven't spoken a word, did something happen?" asked Sierra.

The pride was no longer smiling but instead, many were either frowning or muttering to each other in confusion. It was a rather unsettling environment.

"What's the matter my son?" asked Simba.

"Don't even call me that! I was nothing to you wasn't I?" growled Kopa.

"What? Of course not, how could you say something like that?" said Simba in shock and surprise.

"Don't lie! I now see the truth and I'm no longer blinded by false words" said Kopa.

Everyone just stared at the prince in complete shock. They couldn't believe what they were hearing and many were already glaring at Kopa, ready to pounce of something happened.

"Then what is it that you want? You say that you have heard the truth although I doubt you did. If you do know the truth then what is it that you want from me?" asked the king.

"I want to challenge you for the right to rule the Pride Lands" growled his son.

There was a unanimous gasp from the pride but the most surprised were of course his friends and his family.

"Kopa what are you doing?" said Vitani.

"My brain is hurting and I am so confused" commented Timon.

"That makes two of us" groaned Tamina.

Simba stared with his mouth hanging open, he couldn't believe what he was hearing from his own son. He finally replied in a small voice and he refused to look Kopa in the eye. "I…I can't accept it. You are my son. I won't go into a fight to the death with you."

"You didn't have a problem with killing me before" said Kopa. Before any of the other lions or other animals had the chance to argue, he continued. "And it is by common law that you accept my challenge!" growled the prince.

There was now growling coming from the pride. They were all throwing in their own comments in defense of their king.

"Unfortunately my sire, he is correct. You don't have a choice but to accept" said Zazu.

"No, I can't fight my own son. Kopa…I won't accept your challenge but if you'd like…I will step down" said Simba.

Once again this caused quite a stir among the pride. They were soon silenced by Kovu.

"Silence!" roared Kovu. He turned to his father-in-law. "Simba…You don't have to do this."

"Please father, you can't just give up the throne" pleaded Kiara.

"Do you really expect me to kill my own son?" asked Simba, effectively shutting them both up.

"Doesn't matter, I won't take your deal. It's not good enough for me; you must repent for your sins through death. So either accept my challenge or break your own law and suffer the consequences" said Kopa.

Simba sighed but before he could answer, Kovu cut him off. "I'll take your challenge" said Kovu.

This caused another huge stir among the crowd. "Don't you guys have other reactions to show?" questioned Timon.

"Kovu, what are you thinking, I don't want you to die" said Kiara.

"And only the king can accept this challenge. I won't fight you" said Kopa.

"The law dictates that a challenge must be accepted no matter what. It does not specifically say it is the king even if it implies it. It also does not say that the lion that was challenged cannot have another take his place unless that lion has something to give up that is of equal importance as the other that is being anted" pointed out Kovu.

"I'm rather impressed with that explanation" commented Zazu.

"No kidding" said Timon.

"And what is it that you can ante that is of equal importance as the throne?" asked Kopa with a raised eyebrow. He was curious to know how his brother-in-law would deal with this.

"My inheritance to the throne, since you want to challenge the king, I guess that means you have decided you are no longer his son. This means I am next in line. So if you win, you will be" explained Kovu.

"Kovu is not as skilled a fighter as Simba, he will be an easier opponent" whispered Hasani to Kopa.

"But I want to take vengeance on him not his preferred son" muttered back Kopa.

"You can just execute them and the rest of his family for crimes against you all those years ago" pointed out Hasani.

"Hm…I suppose you're right" said Kopa then adding in a louder voice. "Alright, I accept. Meet me in the gorge at sunset, that's when we fight."

With that Kopa and Hasani turned away from them and walked off to who knows where. Once they were gone, the pride began to express their worries to the royal family.

"Enough, I believe that the royal family would like a moment of peace so that they can talk things out" said Rafiki as he herded the rest of the pride back into Pride Rock.

This only left himself, the meerkats, Pumbaa, Zazu, the royal family, and Kopa's friends.

"What in the world has gotten into that boy's head? I'm going to have to knock some sense into him when we get to that gorge" said Tamina.

"You can't, once a challenge has been accepted no one can interfere or attack, injure, harm one of the fighters before the challenge" said Zazu.

"Kovu, what do you think you're doing? You don't actually plan on killing him do you?" asked Vitani worriedly.

"I don't plan on it but if it comes down to it, I will have to" said Kovu quietly.

"But you can't!" shouted Vitani.

"I won't let you do this. I'll take this challenge myself" offered Simba.

"Just trust me on this one okay? I have to do this" said Kovu.

While everyone else were trying to talk him out of it, Simba looked at his son-in-law trying to see what it was he was planning before coming to a conclusion.

"Let him do it. I trust him…And if he's going to be king then all of you must as well" said Simba.

"Yeah, you're right…But I'm still unsure about this" Kiaras sighed.

"This whole thing is crazy! I mean why is Kopa acting like this in the first place?" questioned Afua.

"It's because of Hasani, he is manipulating him somehow" Pumbaa informed them.

"What! No, that can't be possible! It just can't!" said Sierra in Hasani's defense.

"I'm afraid that Pumbaa is correct, Hasani is behind this" said Rafiki.

"But why would he be doing this? What's his motive?" asked Ma.

"Only time will tell" replied the mandrill.

"Nonetheless, we should all be there to support Kovu" said Zazu.

"I'm not going" said Vitani.

"Vitani…" said Kovu.

"No, I'm not going to watch the two most important lions in my life try to tear each other apart! I just won't!" said Vitani.

"I won't force you to come but just know that I don't intend on killing him nor do I intend of dying. You have to trust me when I say that everything will be fine" assured Kovu.

The tears that had been building up in Vitani's eyes were blinked away as she looked up her brother in the eye. It was then that she saw the determination behind them. She suddenly felt that if anyone could bring the Kopa back then it would be him.

"Alright…I believe in you Kovu" said Vitani.

"Kovu…I want to thank you. You've come so far and now…I just hope you'll be able to bring my son back to us" said Nala.

"I will…I promise" said Kovu.

"…Sunset isn't so far from now…We should get going. The gorge is pretty far from here" said Simba.

"But…But I don't want to go if Hasani really is the one behind all of this. I-I just can't" said Sierra as tears began to build up.

"Sierra, we need to be there. If Kovu fails then the only ones capable of bringing our friend back is us" said Afua.

"But Hasani…" said Sierra.

"Forget about him. If he is behind all of this then he was never worthy of you in the first place. Besides, which is more important, a guy you met only days ago or your friend who you've never let go of for years" said Afua.

Sierra sniffed and blinked her tears away as well. "Thanks Afua, you always manage to cheer me up as always."

"It's what I live for" smiled Afua.

"I think it's time to go" said Tamina catching their attention.

"Right" said Simba as he roared to get the attention of the rest of the pride. The other lionesses walked back down from Pride Rock. After a short speech from Simba, they all followed him to the gorge. It seemed it was time to meet with destiny.

-X-

Hasani looked up to see the position of the sun. Unfortunately, the clouds did not clear up enough for him to see the sun in the first place. Therefore, he could only guess when sunset was. His head suddenly shot up when he saw Simba and the rest of his pride heading towards them.

"Hey Kopa, looks like its time" called Hasani from his spot on top of the rock.

"Thanks Hasani" said Kopa as he walked out from behind him.

"Is this really where you want to fight? At the place of your grandfather's death?" asked Kovu once he and everyone else positioned themselves around the two fighters. This created a rather large ring.

"That's right; this fight will be watched over by king Mufasa. Right now, he's the only one I can believe in, in this family" said Kopa.

"That's a little ironic" muttered Kovu under his breath.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Kiara.

"No, why would I be sure to fight my own brother-in-law?" said Kovu.

"Before this fight begins, Hasani and I were talking earlier and we both decided that what you have placed on the line is not worth the throne. For all we know your king can just exile me when this is over" said Kopa.

"And who says you'll be coming out of this alive when this is over?" asked Kovu with a raised eyebrow.

"You better watch what you say about me. I'm a much more formidable foe than you think" growled Kopa.

"I never underestimate my opponents" smiled Kovu cockily.

"Anyway, we both decided that this challenge will be called off unless you throw the throne on the line as well" said Kopa.

Kovu and Simba exchanged glances and in a second, Simba sighed and looked his son in the eye. "Fine, if that is what it takes" said Simba. "If you win then you will be king of the Pride Lands."

Kopa smiled in satisfaction and turned back to his opponent. "Then it's settled, this fight will-"

"Wait!" yelled Sierra. This took everyone's attention from the two lions and to her. "Before we start this fight, I have to ask…Hasani, if you were planning on this then why…Why were you with me?" asked the lioness.

"Sierra…" Afua whispered.

"You mean it's not obvious to you yet? I just needed someone to show me around, this way I could know this land a little more. I wasn't planning on any of this, it's like I said when I first arrived here, I'm just a sightseer. But I decided to help Kopa take back what is rightfully his" said Hasani. "I was just a lion in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But how is this supposed to get back what is rightfully Kopa's? We never took anything from him!" argued Afua angrily.

"You Pridelanders are really good at playing naïve aren't you? Guess that's how everyone raised here is, a liar and cold-hearted" smirked Hasani.

Now the whole pride was growling in Hasani's direction. It was now clear to them who their real enemy was but Simba stopped them from doing anything rash. Sierra had gasped in horror and began to cry. So Afua let her weep into his mane.

"I should really take that jerk down" said Timon through gritted teeth.

"I feel the exact same way" agreed Tamina.

"That makes three of us" nodded Ma. "And I don't usually like violence."

"If we're done with all of this idle chit-chat" said Kopa bringing their attention back to the princes.

"Right I almost forgot you were standing there" smirked Kovu.

Kopa roared and pounced on him, however, Kovu was quick and was able to evade it. Almost every member of the pride had to do everything in their power to keep themselves from interfering. Simba made himself a wall in between Kiara and Vitani knowing that they both wanted to throw themselves into the middle of the fight.

Kopa with claws unsheathed kept trying to swipe at his opponent. Kovu however, kept his claws retracted and just kept evading.

"What is he doing? He'll never get a shot in if he just keeps doing that" said Timon.

"I don't think he wants to hurt Kopa" pointed out Pumbaa.

"Well yeah but he might get killed if he doesn't fight back" countered the meerkat.

"If your strategy is to tire me out without having to attack then I will become the victor of this battle" growled Kopa as another one of his swipes missed.

"I'm not here to fight you. I'm hoping this will help you see the light of day" said Kovu.

"Just because you don't attack me won't make me want to give you any mercy" scoffed Kopa.

"Then just hear me out" said Kovu.

Even though the two of them were still moving around the ring, one trying to claw the other, Kovu was still planning on having a conversation while fighting. Or in his case, dodging.

"You really plan on talking to me while you avoid death?" asked Kopa curiously.

"Just listen" said Kovu. He was caught off guard for just a second but it was enough time for Kopa to claw him in the leg. The darker grunted but held in his pain as he jumped back once more. "Do you honestly believe that we'd have the heart to kill a cub?"

"There are a lot of animals out there" growled Kopa as he pinned Kovu down. A majority of the crowd gasped but became relieved when Kovu pushed the lighter lion off with his hind legs.

"Well we're not the kind to destroy a family" said Kovu as he stood back up.

"Then what other story is there for these hideous scars on me?" said Kopa as he got another scratch on Kovu's left flank.

"Oh, I can't watch this" said Kiara as she hid her face into her father's thick mane.

"My mother tried to kill you" grunted Kovu. After that first scratch on his leg, he was unable to doge as easily as before so his opponent was able to get a lot more hits in.

"Quite the family dynamic, but you're wrong. She and the rest of her followers were framed just because they disliked Simba" said Kopa.

"And you seriously believe Hasani more than your own family. You mock my family and yet you distrust your own" scoffed Kovu. "Maybe you should check twice before criticizing others."

"Well if your mother did do it then why would you be the heir to the throne?" asked Kopa as he swiped but missed.

"That's because I'm not judged by my ancestor's decisions. I've redeemed myself and you can to if you put an end to this pointless fight" said Kovu. "But I guess I wouldn't know how to judge you. With your grandfather Mufasa or your great uncle Scar."

Kopa groaned as a memory flashed through his mind.

"_This is for you, Scar!" shouted a crazed lioness as she threw a claw down upon a little Kopa._

"Shut up!" roared Kopa as he pinned Kovu down once more.

This time Kovu was unable to push his brother-in-law off. He was covered in scratches and every time he struggled a new sensation of pain would shoot through him.

The pride almost ran down to help if Simba hadn't stopped them. Kiara looked down at her mate. She could see he was hurt and she wanted to do something to help him so badly.

"Do you honestly believe we'd cover you with scars? You've been with your mother haven't you? You've gotten to know her. Why would she ever dispose of her own son?" asked Kovu from under Kopa.

Kopa was breathing heavily as he stared down at the face of his opponent. He looked up to see his mother's sweet and sad face. Tears were slowly rolling down her cheeks and he saw that she was experiencing inner pain inside her.

"Sh-Shut up! I-I don't need you to feed me more lies!" shouted Kopa.

"I want you to look at everyone around you and I want you to tell me straight in the eye that they are evil. I want you to look into the eyes of your sister, your father, your mother, and your friends and tell me that I'm wrong" said Kovu.

Kopa froze there as he involuntarily complied with Kovu's orders. He looked up and looked at all of their faces. He started with the teary-eyed face of Kiara, his little sister.

"_Kopa we need to talk to you" called the melodious voice of his mother._

"_I didn't do it! Zazu's out to get me! I'm innocent! I demand to see a lawyer!" shouted the little cub form of Kopa._

"_Calm down, you're not in trouble" his father chuckled._

"_I'm not? Then why do you need to talk to me?" asked Kopa._

"_Well, you know how I haven't been feeling well right?" asked Nala._

"_Uh-huh" nodded the young prince._

"_Well it turns out I'm pregnant. You're going to be an older brother!" said Nala._

"_Really? That's so cool! We're going to have so much fun together and I can introduce him to all my friends!" cheered Kopa as he bounced around excitedly._

"_Whoa, calm down, it might be a girl" pointed out Simba._

"_Oh, well a little sister's still going to be pretty cool! When is she going to arrive?" asked Kopa._

"_In about two to three months" said Simba._

"_Aw man, that's too long of a wait" whined Kopa causing his parents to laugh. Kopa gave them a goofy grin and laughed along with them._

Kopa shook the memories out of his head and turned back to Kovu. He raised a paw to deliver the finishing blow but something compelled him to look at his father.

"_Wow, the sunrise is so beautiful" commented Kopa who was standing at the edge of Pride Rock with his father._

"_It is, isn't it?" agreed Simba before turning back to his son. "Listen carefully Kopa, I'm going to tell you something my father told me when I was your age."_

_Kopa looked up at his father with a look of admiration as he waited patiently for his father to continue. "Listen carefully now, everything the light touches, is our kingdom. My life will set like the sun one day, and when that day comes, you will have to take my place as king" said Simba._

"_But what if I'm not good enough? What if I end up like uncle Scar?" asked Kopa as his face fell to one of worry._

"_Kopa trust me, you will be a better king than I. And you won't be alone, your queen, your friends, and your family are all there to help you. Remember, we are one" smiled Simba. Kopa smiled back at him._

"_So now can we play?" asked Kopa._

_Simba chuckled. "Of course, a king needs some time to have fun too."_

Next he looked over at his mother who looked like she feared what he might do. So he brought his paw down but not to kill Kovu, instead he just rested it near Kovu's head.

"_Hey mom is it okay if I watch you hunt?" asked Kopa as he bounded up to his mother._

"_I'm not so sure if that's such a good idea. These hunts can get very dangerous" said Nala._

"_Aw, but dad's busy and I have no one else to play with, Zazu's too boring and uncles Timon and Pumbaa aren't here" complained Kopa._

"_Tell you what, why don't I take a break from hunting today. I can teach you some of my fighting strategies" said Nala. "It's what's always helped me beat your father when playing 'Pinned 'ya'."_

"_Wow, you're a better fighter than dad? I thought no one could beat him" said Kopa in awe._

"_That's what your father wants you to think" chuckled Nala._

Finally Kopa took a look around at all of the lions and various animals around him. All kinds of memories began to flood back into his mind. He slowly looked back down at Kovu.

"So have I shown you the light of day?" smiled Kovu.

"Zira was the one who tried to kill me" whispered Kopa.

"Glad to see you understand" said Kovu quietly.

"I'm sorry Kovu…For everything" said Kopa. He got off of his brother-in-law and Kovu turned himself onto his stomach. The clouds were finally clearing and moonlight broke through. The pride smiled and ran down to meet their two princes.

"Kopa, it's so good to see you're back" cried Nala.

"Glad to have you back old buddy" said Tamina.

"Thanks you guys" said Kopa.

"So I guess everything's okay now" said Afua.

"Not quite" said Kopa as he turned to face his father. "Dad…Could you ever forgive me for my behavior?"

Simba broke out into a smile and hugged his son. "How can I not, you are my son and I love you so much" said Simba through tears.

"Thank you dad…I love you too" cried Kopa.

Kovu smiled at the scene as Kiara came to help him up. Kovu looked through the crowd and realized that something was off immediately. A scream pierced through the air and caught all of their attention.

"Vitani!" shouted both Kovu and Kopa.

-X-

**This extra long chapter is from me to all of you. Call it an early Christmas gift. Hope you guys liked and this and remember there is still a little more to come. Hope this chapter was satisfying and make sure you come back to see the next chapter. The exciting conclusion is coming soon. But don't fret, this just means the sequels are getting closer as well. Leave a review, spread holiday cheer, and please make me happy this holiday season! **


	20. Truth Revealed

**I am so happy that so many of you liked my last chapter. Apparently, it brought in huge response. Anyway, lately I've been addicted to the song **_**Go**_** by the McClain Sisters. It's so good and you should all check it out. You know how rare it is to find siblings that sing this well? The last ones were probably the Jonas Brothers but I wasn't the biggest fan. When I heard **_**Rise**_**, I thought it was amazing, when I heard **_**Great Divide**_**, I thought it was okay, but **_**Go**_** made me sing it everywhere! It's so awesome! Anyway, I'm getting way off topic. I have some questions to answer.**

**To Littletiger – My family's doing good, thanks for asking. I do not know what you mean when you ask if I got something good from school. Teachers don't give presents to us or anything. Yes, I do plan on completing this story before Christmas and I think I might even be upload the sequel before Christmas since I'll be on a break from school. I don't exactly prepare for Christmas…Hope these answers are sufficient. I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy New Years, and a happy holiday in between or before.**

**Here is the newest chapter, I'm sure all of you are waiting to see what happened to Vitani, well here it is! Sorry for the delay and don't forget to review. **

-X-

"Vitani!" shouted both Kovu and Kopa. Kopa pushed himself through the crowd and looked in the direction of Vitani's scream. The rest of them followed his gaze to where the young lioness was pinned down by a male lion with three scars running down one side of his face.

"Jua, let go of her!" ordered Simba.

"I don't take orders from the likes of you" growled the lion once known as Jua. "And just so you know, the name's Thimba now."

"That sounds awfully familiar" muttered Timon.

"What are you doing?" shouted Afua.

"I'm ridding this world of these Outsiders once and for all" snapped Thimba. He held up a paw with his claws out ready to deliver a killing blow upon the defenseless lioness.

"No!" roared Kopa as he lunged forward and pushed Thimba off of her. They bounced away for a few feet and stood back up. Now they were both growling at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Thimba, stand down. He's not worth the trouble" ordered Hasani who had relocated himself far away from them. Thimba gave off one more threatening growl towards the Pridelanders before bounding off to be at Hasani's side.

Kopa turned back to Vitani and knelt down to help her up. Once she was back up he pulled her into a warm hug. "I am so sorry for hurting you…Can you ever forgive me?" asked Kopa gently.

"Oh Kopa…It's the same with Simba…The real question is if you could ever forgive me" said Vitani.

"Are you kidding? I never needed an apology to begin with" Kopa chuckled softly.

"It's such a shame really. You could've been such a useful ally Kopa. Oh well, guess it's time we take our leave" said Hasani coldly as he turned to his companion. "Come Thimba, Ashon is waiting for us at the border."

"Hasani, what exactly are you planning? It doesn't make sense for you to want Kopa to become king. What's your motive?" asked Simba.

"My motive? My dear Simba, must everything have a reason? Why can't I just do something out of my own needs and desires?" Hasani chuckled.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell us who you really are and what you want!" ordered Nala.

"It's a rather long story and I don't want to bore you with the details. Besides, it doesn't look as if any of you have the intelligence to even fully comprehend the source of my actions" said Hasani.

"You really get on my nerves. I should give him a piece of my mind!" said Timon and looked down on Pumbaa. "Alright Pumbaa, you go and hit him."

"Huh? But I thought you said you wanted to give him a piece of _your_ mind" pointed out the warthog.

"Yeah but since _I'm_ the brains of this outfit, even if you're the one hitting him, you'll still be giving him a piece of _my_ mind" explained Timon.

"That has to be the most twisted logic I've ever heard" commented Tamina.

"The longer you stay with us, the more twisted it's going to get" said Ma.

"Timon was it? I do believe I met your great Uncle Max when we made it to the oasis" said Hasani with a cold smile. "I am so sorry to be the one to tell you this but I'm afraid your uncle has passed on to the other world."

"No…" Ma whispered as she covered her mouth in horror.

"You…You killed Uncle Max?" said Timon almost inaudibly.

"Oh not me, my partner here was the one to kill him. I just had the joy of watching an old sap die" smiled Hasani.

"You…You monster!" shouted Timon as he jumped off of Pumbaa's head and ran straight for the two lions.

"Timon!" called both Simba and Pumbaa.

"No, Timmy!" gasped Ma.

Hasani was just about to smack Timon away when Tamina jumped onto him and pulled him back. "Let go!" shouted Timon as he struggled in the female meerkat's grip. His eyes were completely filled with rage and it was clear he wasn't thinking straight.

"Timon, snap out of it! No matter how strong you are, you can't beat him!" shouted Tamina. It seemed she was able to get through to him because he stopped struggling.

"Now that's a smart little meerkat" Hasani chuckled. Everything that was going on around him was all just some sick game to him. It was as if it was all amusing to him, like a show of some sort.

"Great, now why don't you tell us the reason for why you hate Simba?" asked Timon bitterly.

"Oh no, I don't have any hatred towards Simba. I simply don't care about his existence. The ones I do hate however are Vitani and Kovu over there" said Hasani.

"What? Why do you hate us?" asked Vitani.

"We don't even know you" added Kovu.

"As true as that might be, I have a very good reason for despising you two" said the older lion.

"Well then tell us because we have no idea what you're rambling on about" said Vitani.

"It's a rather simple story really. Now where should I start? Ah yes, I guess I will start with who I really am. I am Hasani, my mother was Zuri and my father was Neo. And I am your half-brother" said Hasani.

Both Kovu's and Vitani's eyes widened in complete and utter shock while the rest of the pride gasped. Not even Rafiki was able to predict any of this.

"But if you're their half-brother then why do you hate them so much?" asked Kiara.

"My father left me, my sister, and my mother alone while he went off with that lioness Zira. I was only a young cub then so I don't remember much but my sister always told me stories about what happened. As time passed, I made a personal pact…I would find my father, and end him. However, when I came here, I was unable to find him. So instead, I targeted you two, the offsprings off my father and that wretched mother of yours" growled Hasani.

"Once again, Zira's the source of all trouble, why am I not surprised?" said Timon.

"That doesn't sound like Neo. If I knew anything about him is that he loves his cubs, each and every one of them" said Simba.

"Then you tell me why he left! Why he left a cub, an adolescent, and a deathly sick lioness to fend for ourselves? My mother died a week after he left. My sister had to work hard to take care of me and things were not easy for us" said Hasani.

-X-

"_Zafina? Where's mom? We can't just leave her alone" said a young cub with tears in his eyes._

"_Look Hasani…I don't know how I can tell you this but mom is gone, okay. Please understand" pleaded an adolescent lioness._

"_No…No it can't be!" said Hasani as he shook his head. "Please don't say that! We have to go back, maybe she's still there and waiting for us!"_

"_Hasani!" roared Zafina scaring him into silence. "Look…I-I just don't know what to do so you have to work with me. Mom can't be there for us anymore and neither can dad so we have to continue on by ourselves."_

"…_Where did dad go?" Hasani asked once his sobs died down._

_Zafina sighed and looked at her younger brother. "He's gone off with some other lioness. He's gone to the Pride Lands."_

"_Didn't he love mom? Didn't he love _us_?" whimpered the young cub._

"_I don't know…But I do know that I can't ever forgive him…" said Zafina. "Now come on, maybe there's a pride that will take us in."_

Eventually we did find a place we were able to call home for a short while. It was close to the Northern kingdom, residence of Kanu, the current king of those lands. The minor pride we lived in was known as the Moon Pride and we were able to live happily among them. They were kind enough to take us in, to feed us, and to teach us some new things. Unfortunately, those days came to an abrupt end one day.

_King Kanu's father, the king at the time, ordered a full on invasion of the Moon Pride. There was no real reason for such a bloody attack; all I know is that they didn't spare any cub or lioness. They remember that day as the 'Eradication of an Evil Epidemic' I called it the 'Massacre of the Moon Pride'._

_The lions from the Northern kingdom had set fire to the lands. Like wildfire should, it spread quickly and was completely uncontrolled. Hasani was able to pick up the scent right away._

"_Zafina! I smell smoke!" called Hasani._

_Zafina looked over at her brother and then ran to a hill. She looked beyond and saw the rising black clouds of smoke. Her eyes widened in fear and she turned to Hasani. "Hasani, you have to run away, now! You can't let the fire touch you."_

"_But…What about you Zafina? I don't want to leave you" Hasani whined._

"_Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, I just have to save the others" said Zafina. "Now go! And don't look back."_

_Hasani nodded and ran off into the opposite direction. He just kept running, his legs fueled by adrenaline and he soon made it to a shelter. There were a few other lions from the Moon Pride who were able to find it, including_ _the queen, Luna._

_As more animals kept running into the shelter, he soon became worried for his sister who still hadn't returned. He was able to hear snippets of conversation from the others._

"_Have you seen Zafina?"_

"_I think I saw her run past me."_

"_I thought I saw her trapped in a ring of fire."_

"_She looked as if she was unable to escape."_

"_I'm a little scared."_

"_What are we going to do?"_

"_It won't matter, for now we need to figure out who take cares of Hasani if she really is gone."_

_These were not words Hasani wanted hear. He broke into a run and sped off into the flames. He ignored all the yells from behind and just pushed himself forward. He felt the flames as they brushed his fur. He felt the sweat as it poured down his forehead. He was gasping for the clean, purified air he was breathing earlier when he saw a flash of golden yellow fur._

"_Zafina!" called Hasani. He inhaled some smoke once this happened and choked. After he got it out of his system, he ran into the ring of flames and found his sister lying down. He was afraid she might've been dead but was relieved when he heard her cough._

"_Hasani…What…are you…What are you doing here?" coughed out Zafina._

"_I came to look for you…I didn't want you to die…I-I don't want to live without you" cried Hasani._

"_Listen to me…No matter what happens to me…You have to move on…" whispered Zafina._

"_No, don't talk like that. Don't talk like you're going to die" sobbed Hasani._

"_I'm sorry…But my time here…is almost over…I just wish that…I could've watched you…as you grew older" said Zafina softly._

"_But you can! You won't die! Please don't die…"whimpered Hasani._

But as time slowly went by, I began to lose hope that my sister would actually live. Soon it began to rain and the fire was slowly being put out. Now there was just a ring of smoke around us, threatening to suffocate us.

"_Hasani…I want you to look at me. I want you to be the last one I see before I ascend to the next level of life" said Zafina weakly._

"_No…No don't say that!" cried Hasani._

"_Please…At least…At least listen to my last words" whispered Zafina._

_Hasani nodded as tears continued to roll down his cheeks. He walked up to his dying sister and looked her right in the eye. He felt as if he was staring at her for hours before she finally spoke._

"_I want you to know…That when dad left…I aimed to one day find him…And end him. Just like he had done to mother…I know I can never forgive him for what he had done. No matter how hard I tried…I just wanted to kill him. Now listen…I'm not going to tell you to find him…I don't want you to become a murderer…Only kill when necessary…I just want you to be safe…So…Be careful of who you trust…" said Zafina as tears began to stream down her face. "You're going to grow up to be so strong and handsome. Live happily even if I'm not here…You deserve it…"_

Those were her last words to me before she was gone from this world. I sat there near her lifeless body for hours. I didn't want to leave her side even after death…But I knew I had to go back. But she didn't have to tell me to be careful of whom I trust…Even though the Moon Pride lions took me in, I maintained a distance from them. I didn't trust them. I was always afraid that they would leave and forget about me just like my father.

When I came back to the shelter, I heard roars and battle cries. I looked into the cave and witnessed dozens of deaths with my own tender eyes. I knew I had to flee but I couldn't…I was frozen with fear at the very spot. Watching as every lion that took care of me got viciously murdered by a warrior from the Northern kingdom.

Soon every lion that had ever made up the Moon Pride was gone. They had all ascended to the next plane level. I was going to run then when one of the enemy lionesses caught my scent. I froze once more as they advanced on me. The lioness that had discovered my scent pounced on me but I was saved but this other lioness.

It was clear from the lack of scars and injuries that she wasn't part of the deadly battle. However, she was part of the Northern kingdom so I feared her as much as I did the rest of them. She was able to convince her comrades to spare me. She defended me and took me in. She brought me back to her pride and raised me in secret. I was usually silent though and since she was around Zafina's age, I called her 'sister'.

My existence in the kingdom was soon found out. The king was furious and attempted to kill me and the lioness. We would've died too if the prince hadn't jumped in. Prince Kanu was the lover of this lioness that had saved me and he protected her on his honor. The king had to back down of course unless he wanted to battle to the death with his own heir.

Despite what Zafina had said to me, both the prince and sister had gained my trust. I told them so many of my secrets and my story. In exchange they told me about themselves. The prince told me how the four great kingdoms oppressed the minor prides under their reign and other animals He told me that the reason why his father eliminated the Moon Pride was because he feared their growing strength and was afraid they might attempt to overthrow him. He told me that he wanted to become the first king who would treat all of the minor prides fairly.

I admired him and became his trusted friend. And after all that…There was still one thing I thought about, killing my father. I know what Zafina had told me but I wanted to take vengeance upon the lion that destroyed my life. I made it my goal, my own personal goal. I left a few days after Kanu's coronation; he knows of my intentions and believes that I will succeed. And I believe I can make his dream of a utopian society among all the four great kingdoms to come true.

-X-

"This is my story…" finished Hasani. "So if you believe I'm wrong then go ahead and kill me, but trust me, none of you will live very long if you all continue the way your lives are now."

"…Don't you respect your sister's last words? She wanted you to live happily but all you've been seeking is revenge all these years" said Kiara.

"Young princess…Revenge is not all I seek. I plan on ridding this world of the foolish creatures that are put in charge" said Hasani.

"But if you say that then why do you want to put someone else into power? Why did you want me to be king?" asked Kopa.

"You would've only been a puppet king. I would've been the one controlling you" scoffed Hasani.

"Well that's stupid! You say you want a utopian society but then you go around saying how you'll be controlling the king!" yelled Tamina. "Do you not see the hypocrisy in that?"

"As if I care what such foolish and simple-minded creatures think. To me you're all mere stepping stones to me achieving my goal. However since Neo is most likely already gone, I have a new goal in mind" smiled Hasani.

"Then you really didn't care…You honestly didn't care about me?" asked Sierra in tears.

"I can honestly say that I felt regret when I was deceiving you. But I can also honestly say that I hated every moment I spent with you. To me, you were a complete waste of my time and was only useful as a guide and a source of information" said Hasani.

Instead of crying, Sierra clenched the earth underneath her claws as she felt rage building up inside her. She suddenly sprinted towards Hasani and lunged at him. Right before her claws could reach him, he struck her down. She crumpled to the ground in a painful heap.

There was a chorus of gasps coming from them and many of them ran to the injured lioness. Rafiki pushed through the crowd and made it to Sierra. He gasped when he saw a flower sticking out of her neck.

"This is…" he whispered.

"Yes, you've taught me the plants and fruits around her fairly well. The flower you see is very poisonous and if you don't treat it quickly, she will die in a matter of days. You better hurry" Hasani smirked.

"Damn you!" growled Afua as he was about to run at him.

"Wait, don't Afua…He has more of those flowers, if you go then you might get struck too. And I don't want to be responsible for your death" said Sierra with a very weak voice.

"I must get the remedies back from my tree, you must watch her. Every second is crucial, even as we speak the poison is coursing through her veins" said Rafiki as he ran off.

"We're much too far from the tree here. When he gets back he'll only be able to prolong her death. The result will still be the same, she won't make it" said Hasani. "You might all see me as despicable but that's only mirroring my feelings towards you. To me, every other lion from a great kingdom is evil. And one day, I will be the one to rid this world of that evil."

With that, both Hasani and Thimba turned and fled the scene. Kopa growled in their direction and followed at breakneck speed. He didn't plan on letting them leave like this. Not after everything they had done.

"Kopa!" called Simba. He would've followed but his concern for Sierra's life overweighed the possibility of Kopa not returning.

"Vitani, please go after my son" pleaded Nala to the dark lioness.

"What? But Sierra, I can't just leave her here" said Vitani.

"We'll be here to watch her. You need to go after him" said Kovu.

"But…But…" tried Vitani.

"Vitani…I appreciate the concern but you're the fastest one here. You can catch up to him. He's running to the fissure, it was recently made a few months ago so Kopa has no idea it's there but Hasani and Jua do. If you don't stop him then I won't be the only one to die" said Sierra weakly.

Vitani stared at her friend for a long time before kneeling down and nuzzling her. "I'll be back as soon as I can old friend."

"I know" Sierra chuckled. "Now go, he needs you more than I do right now."

Vitani nodded and sped off in the direction of the prince. She turned back once more to see Sierra surrounded by her friends and they were all crying at the sight of her. They were all worried for Sierra's safety but they were also scared if Vitani and Kopa would return safely. Vitani shook her head to clear her thoughts. She focused on one thing. To make it to Kopa before it was too late.

-X-

**Hope this sufficient to all of you because this is the best I can do. Right now it's very late at night and I'm tired but I wanted to complete this for you guys. This is in celebration of one hundred reviews (That's what the reviews thing says but I know there's more if you count the guest reviews). Whoo, what a milestone! Hope you all enjoyed and be patient because the next chapter might not be coming soon. Happy holidays! Leave a review please!**


	21. Epilogue: A Brand New Day

**It's finally here, the end of the story! Anyway, many of you responded to my last chapter by saying you wanted Sierra to live. Well don't worry, I've planned out this whole story and I can assure all of you that she will live. I make no promises for the characters' lives in sequels. Anyway, I've been so excited lately. Not about school, my school life sucks. But I recently saw the commercial for the return of **_**Wizards of Waverly Place**_**, my second all-time favorite show. I already knew they were going to make a special return episode for a few months but I was starting to lose faith. But now it's back! Tell me some of you are fans. Anyway, hope you will enjoy this, the final chapter and don't forget to leave a review to make me happy. P.S. Happy birthday to Taylor Swift!**

-X-

Kopa stopped when he saw that Hasani had stopped running and was now observing the young prince from atop a hill. Kopa took a few seconds to regain his breath before giving his former friend a cold glare.

"Why, Kopa, you have no reason to be so angry at me" smiled Hasani.

"Yes I do. You hurt one of my friends. You used me like a puppet. And you tried to kill the lioness I love" said Kopa angrily.

"…I was truly hoping that you would join me on my quest for unity. But I now see that you are blind to the evils of your family and your heritage. It is clear that you are just like those fools" said Hasani coldly.

"No Hasani, my family, my people, none of them are evil. The only evil on these lands is you!" growled Kopa.

"You really are blind aren't you? I should've let you fall into the crocodile pit."

"Why did you save me then? Why didn't you let me fall?"

"It's like I said, you could've been a useful ally."

"I would never fall to the same level as you."

"Fine…I have much bigger plans right now anyway…Until next we meet."

With that, Hasani turned on his heels and sped off. Kopa growled and was about to set off in hot pursuit of the lion when Vitani jumped in front of him, putting a halt to his plans.

"Vitani, what are you doing? Get out of the way!" ordered Kopa.

"Stop it!" shouted Vitani making him stare back at her in shock. "Kopa, don't let your rage shroud your better judgment. If you do then you really will become blind like Hasani said. I've seen dark rage ruin the lives of many. Especially to those I care about. Even my mother…She wasn't the best one in the world but she was the only one I had. I watched her fall to her own death just because she was too full pride to take the paw of a lioness she hated. I don't want the same to happen to you."

"What are you saying?" asked Kopa.

"Are you really that blind? Just look and see what's in front of you Kopa" said Vitani.

Kopa stopped and realized a fissure a few inches from where Vitani was standing. It wasn't very wide, just enough for him to fall through, but since Hasani was standing atop of the hill; he would've run to him looking up and therefore not had seen the crack. And by then it would be too late for him.

"If I had kept running…" said Kopa.

"You could've died. And this time…And this time there would've been no way to save you" sobbed Vitani.

"Oh 'Tani…I am so sorry…" said Kopa softly as he pulled her into a close embrace. He felt her tears roll down onto his mane and held her protectively. They stood like that for a long time until Vitani had finally stopped crying.

He pulled away from her and gave her a loving lick on her cheek. She blushed under her fur and nuzzled him.

"Kopa…Could you follow me for a sec?" asked Vitani.

"With you, I could go anywhere" smiled Kopa.

Vitani nodded and smiled, she began to lead him in another direction. They kept walking until they reached the very cliff they had learned about the Great Kings of the Past. It was finally nightfall when they reached it and the sky was now clear of clouds.

"It's such a beautiful night…" said Vitani softly.

"It is…Vitani…I am so sorry for hurting you earlier" said Kopa.

"I told you already…You don't have to apologize" said Vitani.

"But I-."

"Kopa, look at me. What do you see?"

Kopa turned and looked her right in the eye. "I see the most beautiful lioness I've ever seen."

"But do you see any scratches or any sign that showed you hurt me?"

"No, but just because there isn't one doesn't mean I didn't hurt you."

"No claws Kopa."

"What?"

"You showed restraint, if you really wanted to hurt me then you would've used your claws. But you didn't."

"I still hurt you..."

"And I forgive you because I love you Kopa."

Kopa smiled and nuzzled her. "I love you too…More than anything in the world. But...What about Hasani?"

"It's true that he needs to pay for his crimes but I think we should let him go. Something tells me he's just a little lost at the moment. One day he'll be able to see the truth of this world, just like you and I did" smiled Vitani.

"There's one last thing I have to ask you" said Kopa.

"Then go ahead" urged Vitani.

Kopa took a deep breath and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. The ones he loved so much. "Vitani, would you make me the happiest lion in the world by saying you will be my mate?" asked Kopa softly.

Vitani was caught completely off guard but then she smiled and she looked as if she wanted to cry out with tears of pure joy. "That would make me the happiest lioness in the world" she smiled.

-X-

The sun was just rising, signaling the start of a new day. Sierra weakly opened her eyes to have the light of the sun blind her. She moaned a little as her vision readjusted to this new lighting. Once they did, she saw a lion silhouette coming towards her.

She smiled softly and closed her eyes. She looked as if she was in complete state of peace. "Well…It looks like I'm dead. And here's the angel that's here to take me to see the Great Kings of the Past" she whispered to no one in particular. "I just hope 'Tani made it to Kopa in time."

"It sounds as if you are hallucinating. Strange, I am fairly certain he sucked all the poison out of you" muttered a familiar voice.

Without even opening her eyes she replied back to the voice. "Rafiki, you're dead too? I guess not even you can live forever" she muttered back.

"What are you talking about?" asked another familiar voice although it sounded a little muffled.

This time she really did open her eyes and saw Rafiki and Afua looking down at with very concerned and confused expressions. Afua had a zebra leg in his mouth which explains why he sounded a bit muffled.

She pulled her head out of her paws and looked around. She realized soon enough that she was not above the clouds and in reality, just in Rafiki's tree. "I-I'm alive? I'm alive!" cheered Sierra happily.

"Okay Sierra, I think you need some more rest" said Rafiki.

"No, I'm fine. I was just, well, I just thought that I was - never mind!" said the lioness sheepishly.

"You must be hungry, I caught this myself" said Afua as he gave her the zebra leg.

"Thanks Afua, I appreciate it" smiled Sierra.

"You might be a little woozy so I'll be right back with some herbs to help you a bit" said Rafiki as he hobbled off.

"I'm so glad you're awake. I was worried we were too late" smiled Afua once Rafiki was out of earshot.

"Yeah, I thought I was going to die too" Sierra chuckled.

"Rafiki said you would've if I hadn't sucked some of the poison out of you" said Afua nervously.

"You sucked the poison out of me?" questioned Sierra.

"Yeah…I was just really worried and Tamina told us that a good way to help would be too suck the poison out of your bloodstream. So I volunteered" said Afua.

"That was very sweet of you...Strange, but still very sweet" smiled Sierra. Then her smile faltered. "What about Vitani? And Kopa, did they come back?"

"Yeah, they did, the sun just rose and I'm sure everyone's still asleep after last night. None of them will be awake yet" informed Afua.

"I'm glad…"Sierra sighed. Once again her smile became an expression of sadness and she laid her head in her paws. Her mind kept replaying the scene when Hasani had called her a waste of time. She knew that she shouldn't let it get to her but it hurt her so bad.

"You okay? You don't look so good" commented Afua.

"Oh Afua…I was such an idiot to have believed in him. It was so stupid of me, I mean what lion could actually fall in love with a lioness like me?" sniffled Sierra.

"What are you talking about? You're one of the most beautiful, talented, and greatest lionesses I've ever met. And if it's unnatural for a lion to fall in love with you then I guess I'm proud to say I'm different" said Afua. "Now look at me."

Sierra sniffed and looked into his eyes. "You are not an idiot. And the only reason why you would be is because you never realized how much I care about you. I love you so much, more than anything" he said.

Sierra smiled and buried her head into his mane. "Thank you Afua…I don't know if I'll be able to return your feelings but I hope that one day I will. And I hope you will accept me to be your mate on that day" said Sierra.

"Even if you asked me thousands of years later, the answer will be the same as it's always been, yes" smiled Afua.

-X-

Around midday, things were already starting to return to normal. Both Timon and Ma mourned for Max along with all the other animals. Pumbaa and Tamina, both of whom knew a thing or two about healing were helping Kovu recover from his wounds. Vitani and Kopa both helped Sierra up the steps of Pride Rock with Afua and Rafiki following closely behind.

After all the formal greetings, they had a feast that had been gathered by the hunting party in celebration for the real return of Kopa as well for a new time of peace. It was also in preparation for the ceremony that would officially make Kopa and Vitani mates.

"Before the ritual begins, there is something very important that I have to talk to you about" said Simba. There was only minor concern etched into his face.

"What is it dad?" asked Kiara.

"Well, there's a little issue of who's going to be the next king. It may be Kopa's rightful birthright but Kovu has worked very hard to take my place. I need you guys to resolve this since I don't trust myself with a decision like this" said Simba.

"Kovu, I think you should succeed the throne. You've worked really hard after all, I don't want those efforts to be thrown to waste" Kopa remarked.

"I can't do that. It's your birthright, if I succeed the throne then it'll feel as if I've taken something that should belong to you" declined Kovu.

"But you deserve it. You were so much more level-headed than me during our fight and you snapped me back to reality. There's a hidden darkness in my heart that I have to drive out before I can ever hope to be ready to be king" said Kopa.

"Kopa, everyone has a hidden darkness inside them. It doesn't matter how large or how powerful it is, as long as you have a light that's even stronger than that" said Kovu. "For me that light is Kiara, she showed me the right path to take and now the darkness in me has trouble resurfacing."

"But I hurt you so much and you did nothing to me, it's clear who should be king" countered Kopa.

"To be honest, it took everything I had to keep myself from knocking off your head" Kovu chuckled.

"All this back and forth is making my head spin, just choose already" laughed Tamina.

"…Kiara, what do you think? Simba told me that I should take the advice of others" said Kovu.

"Well…I never wanted to be queen in the first place but I do know that it's my responsibility if you are next in line. And I also know that I would happily take it as long as you are by my side but now that I have a choice...I'm not so sure" replied Kiara.

"What about you Vitani, do you want to be queen?" asked Kopa.

"Being queen has never even crossed my mind before, at least, not until now. I'm not so sure I can handle all that responsibility" said Vitani.

It was now silent until Pumbaa got an idea. "If I could butt in…What if the two of you ruled together?" suggested the warthog.

"Together? Isn't that a bit unheard of?" inquired Tamina.

"No, actually it was suggestion a from a long time ago. I for one think it's a great idea" smiled Kiara.

"Same here, I told you the story of Taka, right Kopa?" said Vitani.

"Yeah and I think it's a great idea and all but…Are you okay with this arrangement dad?" asked Kopa.

Simba smiled. "Why wouldn't I be? My father and my uncle made a promise to one day rule together. To me, I think that promise should've been kept. It's not like I see my father's decision to be wrong, he was right, at the time, Taka was not ready. I see much of my father in you Kopa and I already said once that Taka is a part of Kovu. It will be like that promise really had been kept."

"Then I guess it's settled…When the time comes, Kopa and I will take our place as kings of the Pride Lands" smiled Kovu.

"You don't have any problems with this, do you Zazu?" asked Nala.

"Usually I would…But I think it might be a good thing for two kings to share the responsibilities of a kingdom. You two are both obviously still new to these vast lands and could use some assistance from each other" said Zazu.

"But there's been so much lost time. I don't think I really know anything about taking care of a kingdom" noted Kopa.

"No worries, I'll re-teach you everything you had learned once before" said Simba.

"And I could help teach you some of the other stuff when he's busy" offered Kovu.

"The rest of us will support you the rest of the way" added Vitani with a loving smile.

"Thank you everyone…For everything…" said Kopa. "Oh, before I forget! Dad, is it okay if we let Tamina come and go from here as she pleases? She's my best friend and I don't think I'd be willing to stay here without her."

"I don't see why not, besides, I'd like to hear about your cub hood from the one who raised you" nodded Simba.

"Thank you so much your highness. I promise you won't regret it. And boy do I have some stories about your son to tell you" grinned Tamina. "Like this one time, we were out hunting for zebras, and then this huge rhino comes in-."

"Not that story!" interrupted Kopa.

The rest of them began to laugh at Kopa's abrupt way of stopping his friend. Kopa felt the blood rushing to his face with embarrassment but he couldn't help laughing along with them. It was so hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, he was living near the Western Kingdom, but now he was here, with his family.

-X-

"Do you have feelings of regret when you left your old home?" asked Hasani when he noticed Thimba looking in the direction of the Pride Lands.

They had made it to the outskirts of a jungle. But they were still close enough that they could see the tiny image of Pride Rock in the distance. Thimba only glanced at the older lion for a second.

"Yes, I do" admitted Thimba. "But I know in my heart that this is for the best. I will follow you to achieve your righteous goal."

"Good…It's only natural for you to feel bad about leaving…But don't worry, soon those feelings will change and empower you. Now let's go."

"To where are we going exactly?" asked a mole that popped his head out of the ground. This mole was the traitorous Ashon, the one that had led Max to his untimely demise.

"We're going to that female meerkat's homeland, the Western Kingdom. I have some unfinished business there to attend to. As a matter of fact, my main plot should've already been placed into action. By the time we get there, everything will have been prepared to perfection" smiled Hasani sinisterly.

"I'm tired…I didn't get any sleep last night. Is it okay if I rest a bit?" asked Thimba.

"I understand, a lion needs his rest. But tomorrow we will be on our way. After all, tomorrow's a brand new day" said Hasani.

Behind the lion, through the foliage, stood hundreds of different animals and each had a special mark on them. They were all there, predator, prey, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore; they all stood with a certain glint in their eyes. They were Hasani's followers and they were ready to go to the ends of the Earth to accomplish their goal.

-X-

Ma's special escort finally made it back to the oasis. She didn't want to stay in the Pride Lands much longer but she did send her congratulations to the two heirs. She jumped off of the lioness with her back facing her.

"Thank you Kula, but I can get back on my own from here" smiled Ma sadly.

"Alright, I am so sorry for the loss of your uncle Max by the way. I guess I'll see you next time you visit" said Kula as she turned and sped off back to the Pride Lands.

Ma walked into the oasis to be greeted by the entire colony. They were all welcoming her back and cheering for her return but all went silent when they noticed that she was completely alone. She also seemed very sad.

"Ma…What happened?" asked Twitch as he pushed himself to the front of the crowd.

"Max…He…He…" Ma was unable to finish her sentence so instead she just broke down crying. She had lost two of her loved ones already; it hurt too much to even speak. She felt so alone even though she still had many others that loved her.

Twitch looked at her with a sad expression. It quickly turned to one of determination as he turned to face the rest of the colony. "Give her a little space! Go back to your dwellings, there's nothing to see here!"

Once the colony had retreated, Twitch kneeled down in front of Ma and patted her back soothingly. "Don't cry Ma…Everything will be just fine…He meant a lot to all of us" said Twitch.

"You don't understand Twitch…No one will ever be able to understand" sobbed Ma.

"But I do understand, completely. You know why everyone called me Twitch. It was because my entire family was killed by a hyena pack. I'm the only one left of them…And after all that, I gained a twitch because I kept flinching at every sound. I feared that one day I would leave this world the same way they all did" said Twitch.

"…Oh Twitch, I am so sorry…I never knew that…" whispered Ma.

"It's fine…But hey, cheer up! You're going to be colony chief!" said Twitch.

Ma smiled and closed her eyes but she shook her head. "No I won't Twitch…I can't replace my uncle."

"Well then I guess it'll be Timon, you should be proud of him right?"

"I already asked him, but you know him, the Hakuna Matata life and all. He declined as I had expected."

"Well someone has to take Max's place and you two are his only relatives that live here."

"Timon and I talked about it…And we think you should be chief."

Twitch gaped at Ma, he was in complete shock. "W-What me? But why me of all meerkats?"

"Because everyone trusts and respects you. I believe in you, Timon believes in you, and we all knew Max believed in you. Whenever he was gone, he always left you in charge. Out of every meerkat here…You're the most capable of leading us" explained Ma with a sad smile.

"I don't know what to say…" uttered Twitch after a long moment of silence.

"Why don't you just say yes?" smiled Ma.

"…Yes…I'll do it" nodded Twitch finally.

"I'm happy for you" said Ma softly.

"I won't let you down" promised Twitch.

"I know…"

-X-

Rafiki smiled as he wedded the new couple. Both Kopa and Vitani looked so happy together. In the background, Timon and Pumbaa were in tears at this most joyous occasion. Zazu rolled his eyes; Tamina did the same but with a smile on her face.

With each pride member Kopa and Vitani passed, they bowed their heads down to them in respect. Kovu and Kiara followed close behind with the king and queen bringing up the rear. Once they had passed, the pride members ran down to join the crowd of animals.

Every animal that lived in the Eastern Kingdom were all cheering happily when the royal family reached the top of Pride Rock. Just like how it was when the Outsiders and Pridelanders joined togather, they were all smiles and cheers.

First, Kopa roared, declaring that he was back and was now the co-heir to the throne. Soon after, the other heir and the king joined in. And finally, together all six lions, king, queen, princes, and princesses roared as one. Along with them came the roars of the rest of the pride as well as the many different noises the animals made.

After the unified roar had ended, each male lion nuzzled their respective mates. Then Kovu noticed something in the sky, he nudged his father-in-law and pointed his chin upwards. Simba looked up and smiled. There he saw his father smiling down on them, radiant as the sun. But from behind the clouds stepped out another lion. This one was darker and had green eyes.

Simba almost didn't recognize him without the scar. He smiled once more and looked at his vast kingdom. It was truly a glorious day for the Pride Lands. The promise of two kings has been fulfilled.

-X-

**Edit: This is the ending of the first story and I have just deleted the preview here because it's been rendered useless. Anyway, Story of the Stars has already been posted so come check it out. Discover the second part to the five part Lion King series. What stories remain hidden in the stars and what secrets are the lions hiding? The real question, what exactly is Hasani planning? Here are some suggestions for a good read.**

**Asante – The Lion King III: The Lost Prince and the rest of the series.**

**Incarnate Firefly – The Kopa's Legacy series.**

**Bookworm Gal – When Did I Become A Parent?**

**T5Tango – Heart of a Lioness: Through the Eyes of Queen**

**Lew Leon – Betrayal of the Betrayed**

**Night-Wisdow – The Heirs of Hope**

**Hope you like these stories! Don't forget to leave a review and remember, the sequel will be out by Christmas at the latest! Happy holidays!**


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